The Inner Sisterhood | Page 2

it a low-born air of actual hunger, and it is so vulgar to
be hungry; and our set is so well-born and so well-reared. But, O, my!
my hair's all in a tangle; comes of trying to do it up in a Langtry-knot. I
don't think it is a nice way to fix hair, anyhow. I like to pile mine on the
top of my head. Don't much care if people like it or not. And yet--well,
yes, I believe I do care a little bit. I suppose I'll have to take it down
myself to-night, and not call the maid, because she's very tired, and
when she's tired she's cross; I hate cross people. But I ought not to
blame her, because I've been out four nights this week, and the
musicale is to-morrow evening. The musicales are always so nice--for
people who like music, and I have many friends who are so devoted to
music, at least they say they are. O, this is such a gay season! I don't
know why, but people say it is always going to be dull, and yet, it is
always so gay. The men go down to the Pelham Club a great deal more
than they ought, and yet they don't neglect us entirely; and surely we
have no reason to complain for a lack of parties. Just think of it! three
crushes in two weeks, seven small affairs, excellent play at the theater
all of next week, and I already have three nights engaged, and a chance
of two more. That stupid fellow said something about would I like to
go with him some time during the week. How provokingly vague! But
he never made it more definite and final; just never said another word
about it. I hate men who neglect things.
Now, my hair is all combed out, and it's not a bad color, either. I never

knew that Belle Mason to have as good a time as she undoubtedly had
to-night. She was actually surrounded the entire evening; four or five
men all the time, and I not more than three. I never did like her; she has
such a conceited air; and now she'll be worse than ever. But I should
not have cared if every other man in the house had stood by her the
entire evening, but to think that even Robert Fairfield was with her
constantly! He only bowed AT ME from across the room, and never
came near me. At the Monday-night German he gave me, with a
hand-touch and a smile, this red rose, then a bud, and I, foolishly, wore
it to-night, although it was faded. The horrid, withered thing! Yes, I
was actually foolish enough to wear it for his sake, and he all the time
by the side of Belle Mason! It was a brilliant affair to-night--so every
body said; at least a dozen said as much to me, and I heard a great
many more saying that same thing to our hostess. All the people really
seemed to have a good time. But somehow I didn't enjoy myself much,
and there are several reasons why. I abominate going out with a stupid
man; but there was no other to go with, so it was an absolute necessity,
because go I must. He brought a shabby, uncomfortable coupe. He had
sent ugly, dabby flowers; and he hung about me the entire evening with
the silent, confident air of the young person who fancies himself
engaged to you. He said nothing; he did nothing--except bring me a
melted ice; but he looked a number of unutterably stupid things. And I
heard more than one woman, in a loud, coarse whisper, say, "I wonder
why she came with that stupid stick of a man?" But, of course, they
didn't mean for me to hear it; they would not be so unkind; but,
unfortunately for my comfort, I did hear, and every word. But that was
not all. It's a hard thing for a woman, in a gay season, to appear each
night in a new dress. Of course you can have one nice, white dress, and
change the ribbons--sometimes pink, sometimes blue, or any color that
may happen to strike your fancy--but sooner or later people will find
that out; they will just know it's the same dress with other ribbons, and
it's a social deception which fashionable society-idiots just will not
tolerate. You must appear in a new dress or an old dress, undisguised.
Now, to-night, how was I to know that Mrs. Babbington Brooks could
afford to give so elegant an affair, or in fact would be able to induce so
large a number of the best and nicest people in town to be present at
this, her first