After my success with the Scheherazade costume of the past evening, I was convinced I could manage to look like something less than a rag-picker next to her, so I wore a new white suit with a blue and white striped vest, and a white bolero jacket trimmed with blue braid. I felt very proud of my smart new ensemble until I observed her in a pretty blazer suit of sky blue with rows of dark blue tubular braid. My lips pursed as she drew close, causing her to burst into laughter at my jaded look. “Well, really, Helena, it is too bad!” I said indignantly, circling her to get the full effect of the charming outfit. “Here I sit in my new white duck dress thinking that at last I can hold my own with you, and you insist on floating over to me looking like a rain-washed summer sky.” She raised her hand, still laughing. “I promise you, Cassandra, it is an old gown that I have had for two years.” “Hrmph.” It was hard to be disgruntled with her when she looked so charming, so I gave her only a brief lecture as to the horrors of the feather industry with regards to her hat, and we settled down on a nearby bench to chat.
