n't mean to be
cross. I suppose you were right not to go, only I did want to."
Evelyn snivelled a little. "I know he was hurt, too," she said.

Maria raised her head and wiped her eyes. "I did not think it was
best," she said yet again. Then she looked at Evelyn and tried to
smile. "Don't worry, precious," she said. "Everything will come out
all right."

Evelyn gazed wonderingly at her sister's tear-stained face. "I don't
see what you cried for, and I don't see why you wouldn't go," she
said. "The scholars will see you have been crying, and he will see,
too. I don't see why you feel badly. I should think I was the one to
feel badly."

"Everything will come out all right," repeated Maria. "Don't worry,
sister's own darling."

"Everybody will see that you have been crying," said Evelyn, who was
in the greatest bewilderment. "What did make you cry, Maria?"

"Nothing, dear. Don't think any more about it," said Maria rising.
She took a tumbler from the lunch-basket. "Go and fill this with
water for me, that is a dear," she said. "Then I will bathe my eyes.
Nobody would know that you have been crying."

"That is because I am not so fair-skinned," said Evelyn; "but I don't
see."

She went out with the tumbler, shaking her head in a puzzled way.
When she returned, Maria had the luncheon all spread out on the
table, and looked quite cheerful in spite of her swollen eyes. The
sisters ate together, and Evelyn was very sweet in spite of her
disappointment. She was in reality very sweet and docile before all
her negatives of life, and always would be. Her heart was always in
leading-strings of love. She looked affectionately at Maria as they
ate the luncheon.

"I am so sorry I was cross," she said. "I suppose you thought that it
would look particular if we went out to lunch with Mr. Lee."

"Yes, I think it might have," replied Maria.

"Well, I suppose it would," said Evelyn with a sigh, "and I know all
the other girls are simply dying for him, but he asked us, after
all." Evelyn said the last with an indescribable air of sweet
triumph. It was quite evident that she regarded the invitation as
meant for herself alone, and that she took ineffable delight in it in
spite of the fact that it had been refused. She kept glancing out of
the window as she ate. Presently she looked at her sister and
laughed. "There he is coming now," she said, "and he is all alone. He
didn't take anybody else to luncheon."

Chapter XXXIV