I thought them lovely, peeping out through their
dark green leaves, but I heard Mrs. Lee whispering to Mrs. Mansell,
'How peculiar! _do_ you quite like it?' and then Mrs. Mansell said
nothing more about my dressing her dinner-table. Her dinner-party was
to have been to-day, and she _almost_ promised to have me when I
arrived in the morning. Well, there is no use thinking of that; I
cannot swell my purse in that manner this day, that is very evident.
Oh, dear! oh, dear! what shall I do?"
Here a sudden thought came to Jasmine. Under its influence her cheeks
flushed, and her eyes began to shine.
"Why, of course," she exclaimed; "how very silly of me to forget!--my
hundred copies of _The Joy-bell_ ought to have arrived by now. Yes, of
course they ought, and perhaps I shall be able to sell some of them. I
have no doubt Mrs. Dredge would buy a couple if Poppy asked her and
perhaps Mrs. Mortlock and Miss Slowcum would also like to see my first
story in print. Yes, of course, I can sell a few copies. Bridget said
she would buy one, and she said she had two cronies who would be sure
to take a copy each. Yes, I expect I shall make a few shillings by the
sale of _The Joy-bell_ to-day, and that will keep me going fine.
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