Amy felt that there was something behind this, but could not guess what, and said quietly, feeling hurt, and showing that she did—
“Perhaps you had rather I took no table at all?”
“Now, my dear, don’t have any ill feeling, I beg; it’s merely a matter of expediency, you see; my girls will naturally take the lead, and this table is considered their proper place. I think it very appropriate to you, and feel very grateful for your efforts to make it so pretty; but we must give up our private wishes, of course, and I will see that you have a good place elsewhere. Wouldn’t you like the flower-table? The little girls undertook it, but they are discouraged. You could make a charming thing of it, and the flower-table is always attractive, you know.”
“Especially to gentlemen,” added May, with a look which enlightened Amy as to one cause of her sudden fall from favor. She colored angrily, but took no other notice of that girlish sarcasm, and answered, with unexpected amiability—