You were born manly and generous and true-hearted, and these hateful things that you have been doing are not a part of your nature a bit; but I 'm ashamed of you for yielding to bad impulses when you have so many good ones, and--oh dear!--I do that very same thing myself, now that I stop to think about it.

But how could you, _you_, Edgar Noble, take that evil-eyed, fat-nosed, common Tony Selling for a friend?
I wonder at you!" "He is n't so bad in some ways.

I owe him eighty dollars of that money, and he says he 'll give me six months to pay it." "I 'm glad he has some small virtues," Polly replied witheringly.
"Now, what can we do, Edgar?
Let us think.

What can, what _can_ we do ?" and she leaned forward reflectively, clasping her knee with her hands and wrinkling her brow with intense thought.
That little "we" fell on Edgar's loneliness of spirit consolingly; for it adds a new pang to self-distrust when righteous people withdraw from one in utter disdain, even if they are "only girls" who know little of a boy's temptations.
"If you can save something each month out of your allowance, Edgar," said Polly, finally, with a brighter look, "I can spare fifty or even seventy-five dollars of our money, and you may pay it back as you can.
We are not likely to need it for several months, and your father and mother ought not to be troubled with this matter, now that it's over and done with." The blood rushed to Edgar's face as he replied stiffly: "I may be selfish and recklessly extravagant, but I don't borrow money from girls.

If you wanted to add the last touch to my shame, you 've done it.