The three girls were Portia and Priscilla and Pauline, and they were powerfully upset over the nonsense that’d happened at the celebration.

I have lost my right to do it, for I told him tonight that love and respect must go together in my heart, and Pris wiped her wet eyes with a hand that no longer wore a ring.

Portia and Polly looked at one another in dismay, for by this act Pris proved how thoroughly in earnest she was.

Neither had any words of comfort for so great a trouble, and sat silently caressing her, till Pris looked up, with her own serene smile again, and said, as if to change the current of their thoughts, –

We must have a badge for the members of our new society, so let us each wear one of these tiny silver pitchers. I’ve lost the mate to mine, but Portia has a pair just like them. You can divide, then we are all provided for.

Portia ran to her jewel-case, caught up a pair of delicate filigree ear-rings, hastily divided a narrow velvet ribbon into three parts, attached to each a silver pitcher, and, as the friends smilingly put on these badges, they pledged their loyalty to the new league by a silent good-night kiss.