A simple nod was Mable's answer to Ropati's question, all she cared to say on the matter unless further inquired.  His next request was much more interesting to her, and she had no problem indulging him.

"My shells!  Mr. Ropati, my collection is very large already, even though I only just started it.  I found them all along the beach right here in Whitby!  They've very pretty, lately I've been trying to find shells the same colors as my friends' eyes.  It's a lot more difficult than you'd think!"

The girl reached into some pocket of her dress - or perhaps it was a tear she turned into a pocket, given the odd placement of it - and produced a small shell with stripes of blue and yellow.  She showed it off to the man very proudly.

"This shell is for my friend Edward!  His eyes are very blue, like these stripes here.  This shell is my first for my friends, so I keep it close by for safe keeping!"