Page:Stella Dallas, a novel (IA stelladallasnove00prou).pdf/60

50 Laurel inquired of her, "If you think you'd be nicer with pink cheeks, then why don't you make them pink?"

"Oh, it takes such a lot of time!" laughed Mrs. Morrison. "And then, besides," she added, "I would always be getting them spoiled. I like to be outdoors so much, digging in the garden, riding horseback, romping with the boys in all sorts of weather. If I did use rouge, Laurel," she went on more seriously, "and an eyebrow pencil, as you suggested, I should want to do it exquisitely, like an artist, so that no one's sense of beauty could possibly be offended."

"Offended?"

"Yes. To some people paint and powder on the human face is distasteful."

"Is it?"

"Like paint and powder on the petals of a flower, I suppose."

"Oh!"

There was a long pause, Laurel broke it at last.

"Is that why you haven't a string of pearls?"

"Is what why, Laurel?"

"Because pearls on your neck would be to some people like pearls on flowers?"

"Oh, no," Helen Morrison replied, managing not even to smile. "I haven't a string of pearls because they're so expensive."

"Imitation pearls aren't very expensive."

"Oh, imitation!"

Laurel considered. Her mother had often told her that her pearls and imitation diamond bar-pin would pass for the genuine articles anywhere.