Маленька принцеса
Lottie
Idon’tknow"—lookingquiteserious—"howIshalleverfindoutwhetherIamreallyanicechildorahorridone.PerhapsI’maHIDEOUSchild,andnoonewilleverknow,justbecauseIneverhaveanytrials."
"Laviniahasnotrials,"saidErmengarde,stolidly,"andsheishorridenough."
Sararubbedtheendofherlittlenosereflectively,asshethoughtthematterover.
"Well,"shesaidatlast,"perhaps—perhapsthatisbecauseLaviniaisGROWING."ThiswastheresultofacharitablerecollectionofhavingheardMissAmeliasaythatLaviniawasgrowingsofastthatshebelieveditaffectedherhealthandtemper.
Lavinia,infact,wasspiteful.ShewasinordinatelyjealousofSara.Untilthenewpupil’sarrival,shehadfeltherselftheleaderintheschool.Shehadledbecauseshewascapableofmakingherselfextremelydisagreeableiftheothersdidnotfollowher.Shedomineeredoverthelittlechildren,andassumedgrandairswiththosebigenoughtobehercompanions.Shewasratherpretty,andhadbeenthebest-dressedpupilintheprocessionwhentheSelectSeminarywalkedouttwobytwo,untilSara’svelvetcoatsandsablemuffsappeared,combinedwithdroopingostrichfeathers,andwereledbyMissMinchinattheheadoftheline.This,atthebeginning,hadbeenbitterenough;butastimewentonitbecameapparentthatSarawasaleader,too,andnotbecauseshecouldmakeherselfdisagreeable,butbecausesheneverdid.
"There’sonethingaboutSaraCrewe,"Jessiehadenragedher"bestfriend"bysayinghonestly,"she’snever’grand’aboutherselftheleastbit,andyouknowshemightbe,Lavvie.IbelieveIcouldn’thelpbeing—justalittle—ifIhadsomanyfinethingsandwasmadesuchafussover.It’sdisgusting,thewayMissMinchinshowsheroffwhenparentscome."
