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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892 Excerpt:... been seven shillings--a watered silk at two and eleven-pence, which had been eight and sixpence. After intense consideration Sophy settled on the watered silk, not because she liked it best, but because of the "had been." The original price decided her--not taking into account that the price was reduced in the exact ratio of the material's unfashionableness, and that she might find herself next winter the only young woman in watered silk. There was for Eve also the pleasure of buying presents for Jenny and Hetty, the two sisters who were pining in their rustic bower, while Sophy was draining the wine-cup of London gaieties. It was delightful to Eve to feel that a few pounds could buy them happiness: and she brought all her knowledge of good and evil to bear upon her selections for those absent ones. "You have such a very quiet taste," said Sophy, rather regretfully. "I call those cottons and foulards you have chosen almost dowdy." "Tou won't think so when you see them made up. I'm afraid your scarlet pongee will look rather too showy for country lanes." "My dear Eve, I shall keep it for gardenparties till it begins to get shabby. Scarlet gives just the right touch of colour in a landscape." "Yes, but I think one would always rather that somebody else should give the touch." "Mr. Sefton said yesterday that fair-haired women should wear scarlet." Mr. Sefton was Sophy's great authority. He had been very polite to her, very pleasant, very confidential, talking to her about London society as if she were to the manner born, and had been brought up in the very midst of these people whom she saw to-day for the first time. This flattered her; indeed, his whole speech was made up of flattery, that...