ldn't hurt us. There would be no need, of course, to return a second
one."

"I should think it would NOT hurt us," Rose spoke up, "to behave like
decent people. I never heard that it was considered high breeding and
fine manners to snub your inferiors--if they are your inferiors." "You
have to snub them," said Frances, "if they don't know manners
themselves."

"A very GENTLE snub," said Deb. "We are not going to be rude to the
poor things. We will call once--that is, I will--in a few months' time.
After all, it was hardly their fault."

"No; it is Rose's fault. Please, Rose, in future be so good as to
consider your family a little, as well as your neighbours' dogs."

Rose's only reply was to start the sewing-machine and drive it
vehemently. But her heart burned within her. Evidently Peter's mother
and sister had been insulted in her house, after he had been so good to
her.

He did not appear in the yard that evening, and next day when he did,
his face was turned from her all the time. The day after that, she
rattled the window and encouraged Pepper to bark to draw the young
man's attention, having ready for him a smile that should counteract
Francie's frowns, if smiles could do it; but again he took no notice.
Then she was sure that his feelings had been hurt. Mrs and Miss Breen
had returned to report a cool reception of the overtures that had been
made almost certainly at his instigation--had probably reproached him
for exposing them to the insolence of stuck-up snobs. Oh, it was
horrid! And doubtless he thought her as bad as the rest. She had not
gone downstairs to see his mother and sister, and how was he to know
she had been ignorant that they were there? And still he took Bruce out
for walks, before breakfast and after business in the afternoons, when
he might have been playing tennis and enjoying himself.

She bore with this state of things for some time, then suddenly
determined to end it. "Where there's a will there's a way." One of
Deb's petticoats showed signs of fraying, and, Deb-like, she must have
fresh lace for it immediately. Rose offered to go to town to fetch it,
taking with her the money for her purchase.

Never before had she been to "Breen's." Second-rate, if not third or
fourth, was its class amongst Melbourne shops, and the Pennycuicks had
always been accustomed to the best. But when she turned in at the
somewhat narrow and encumbered doorway, she was pleasantly surprised to
note how far t