mare and her colt, his cow, and the implements wherewith he gained his livelihood were threatened with seizure by the Party; that the Party's main object was to get the land, in order to sell it again to Miss Morton (who, the Party felt sure, was determined to have it) at an exorbitant price; that the sale of the land, to somebody, was now inevitable, and therefore that he (Trimnell) had rather Miss Morton took the land, with its incumbrances, at once, and so thwart the Party's avaricious schemes. To which he (the steward) had agreed, granting favourable conditions, with the promise of a long lease. 'In short, madam, within three months,' he concluded, 'seven acres will be incorporated with the Madderley estate. You may cut up the common into fields, and the surveyor may make a new map showing the enlarged boundary.'

'You have gone a little beyond your credentials; but never mind, it will all come to the same in the end. And so good night, dear sir; I thank you much in the matter of the arches.'

As he retired the four bridesmaids made their way into the lady's sanctuary.

'You here!' said Angelica, rising. 'You and I can talk just as well by the fire.'

room, and burn our fingers and smear our pinafores? Don't you remember, when we met abroad, how we made an English pancake, and when you tried to toss it and catch it in the pan how it fell flat upon your head? Don't you remember, another time, Edith's incantation during the grand experiment of the bacon omelette?

Double, double, toil and trouble;

Fire burn, and fry-pan bubble!
Egg of sable Spanish hen,
Powder of fresh bruised cayenne,
Sweet herbs cull'd at full o' moon,
Shred and mix'd with silver spoon;
Pinch of salt, and-dark's the hour!—
Ounce of finest wheaten flour;
Butter sweet, and mince-meat fine
Cut from off the blacken'd chine,
Mingle, mingle as you can,
Ere transferring to the pan.
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and fry-pan bubble!'

'Do then, pray do let us have a little cooking, for the last time. How delightful it would be, for instance, to make a few mince-pies to-morrow!'

'I will peel and chop the apples,' said Miss M'Dougall.

'I will stone the plums,' said Lady Jane.

'I will mince the beef and the suet,' said Edith.

'I will make the pie-crust,' said Cordelia Owen.

And I too will heat the oven,' said Lady Jane.

And by what time do you think your pics will be ready? Certainly not before the end of the week. Your paste will be heavy before your mincemeat is made. I must arrange matters for you differently to that. Mincemeat, you don't seem to know, ought to be prepared a month beforehand, and well stirred up every day till used. As a lesson in early rising and punctuality, can you have finished your breakfasts by a quarter to nine to-morrow morning?'

'We can! we can!' cried the chorus of bridesmaids.

'Very well, then, we shall see. Miss Curtis and myself will breakfast alone at eight. Mr. Saunders will occupy me for a quarter of an hour, and then, young ladies, I am at your service. We will try our hands at a little confectionary.'

IV.

'Robert,' said Miss Morton, at her morning meal, 'tell Mrs. Davis to have the oven in the still-room heated, to make me a good quantity of piecrust, to place a large jar of mincemeat on the dresser, with patty-pans and everything needful to make pies. Ask her also to oblige me with the loan of six white aprons and six white caps, and to keep the servants out of the way. When all is ready let me know, and request my young friends to meet me in the still-room.'

To hear was to obey on Robert's part. Mrs. Davis, the housekeeper, less docile, grumbled - she was

jealous of invasion on her territory, and dreaded the extortion of her confectionary secrets- but she knew her mistress too well to refuse, even indirectly; she only obeyed with a very bad grace. If Miss Morton,' she muttered, 'thinks that I am going to give her lessons in pastry, she will find herself much mistaken.'

Robert, after fulfilling his mission, announced, The young ladies, ma'am, are waiting for you, but Mrs. Davis is very cross to-day.'

'Did you ever know a good cook, Robert, who was not very cross at times? Pay no attention to her, and she will soon recover her good humour. You will remain with us

while I amuse the girls. Carry also the casket there, if you please. I wish to look over its contents again.'

The conclave was assembled, the doors were closed, and they merrily proceeded with their task.

'In the first place, my dears,' said the lady of the house, we cannot enjoy cooking dressed as we are. While I put on this snowy apron and this neat white cap you and Miss Curtis will do the same. There! Are we not as charming as at a fancy ball, and at considerably less ex

pense? You, Jane, will butter the patty-pans, to prevent the crust from sticking to them; you, Edith, will cut out the paste into rounds as fast as Mrs. Davis rolls it out; you, Eleanor, will put the bottom crust into the pans; and you, Cordelia, will undertake the responsibility of filling them with mincemeat. Miss Curtis and I will put on the top crust, make all secure, and finish off. Robert will do the baking part, and put in and take out our batches from the oven.'

The work commenced and progressed joyously, in spite of the housekeeper's sullen looks. 'How kind of you, Davis, to help us in this way!' said Angelica, opening the casket and displaying its sparkling contents. You shall see the present Lord Farlington has sent me. Look at this beautiful diamond necklace! look at these charming earrings and bracelets!'

'Very pretty, indeed, ma'am,' said the matron, relaxing; 'only they are of no earthly use. They're like heaps of money buried in the earth; they give you no interest; you can't help a friend with them. If you want to buy a poor man a coat or to lend him a sovereign, you can't take out one of the jewels to do it with. You mustn't touch them; they are yours, but not your own. You may look at them yourself, and let other people look at them; but looking never yet filled a hungry stomach.'

True, Davis; but my lord has added something more serviceable for present use. Beside the jewels is a purse full of sovereigns, to gratify any little fancy I may have to-day. Suppose I begin by giving you and Robert a Christmas-box each? There! Put it in your pocket without more ado.'

'Thank you kindly, ma'am,' said the housekeeper, quite softened. 'I hope your heart will always be as light as my crust promises to be today.'

And get on, all of you, as quick as you can; for your day's work will not be finished when I have put my last top crust on my last mince-pie. Those that are glazed and marked with a cross we will eat at home; the rest you shall distribute in the village. It will be a pleasant walk. Robert will accompany you and carry the basket; I cannot go myself, but must remain within doors. Well done, Robert; the last batch. Nicely browned, and not one burnt; Mrs. Davis herself could not have turned them out better.'

V.

The little party of pedestrians, as arranged, left the park by the gate

nearest to the foot of the lake, whose surplus water set a mill in motion. While looking over the mill bridge at the white stream of foam which rushed from beneath it, they met the miller's little son and daughter coming out with their maid for their afternoon ramble. Miss Curtis addressed a kind word to them; but the boy, instead of answering to the point, directed his attention to Robert's basket.

'How nice it smells!' said the child, with a roguish look. 'Better than plum-pudding. I should so like to know what it is.'

'Only mince-pies. You know what mince-pies are? The young ladies at the Hall have been making them; and we are now going to give them away to people who cannot make any themselves.'

'I should like to taste one,' pleaded the boy. 'Wouldn't you, Louisa?'

'Please, Miss Curtis, I should indeed,' lisped Louisa, smiling timidly at the official lady.

'You don't want them; you will have some at home. I am sure you will have mince-pies on Christmas Day.'

"Ah! but not so nice as those. Besides, miss, to-day is not Christmas Day.'

'Well, I think I may give you one very small one each. Mind, however, you are not to bite them, but to eat them with a knife and fork.'

The children ran into the house triumphant, each holding in its hand a warm mince - pie. Two minutes afterwards the miller's parlour-window was suddenly thrown open; the miller's wife put out her head, beaming with smiles; the boy waved his cap in the air, giving what he thought a tremendous huzza, while the little girl clapped her hands as if she thought their sound would be audible.

Miss Curtis smiled in token of intelligence, at the same time laying her finger on her lips, to intimate that a secret was to be kept. The miller's wife nodded in a way which said, 'You may do what you like, but it's quite impossible;' and the pie distributors went their way.

They reached the first triumphal

arch, which was awaiting Trimnell's finishing touch; he and his assistants being busy at the second. Close by, on either side of the road, was a group of cottages, at each of which they left one or more mince-pies. The cottagers were mightily puzzled -not at the attention, for they were accustomed to similar acts of kindness, but at the smallness of the gift. What were one, two, or three little bits of plums and pastry, to satisfy three or four sharp-set appetites?

The object of their mission required despatch. The ladies were nimble-footed enough; but poor old Robert, besides his load, was never intended to walk for a wager. Indeed, he was an indoor footman born. He had long arms, to carry a tray; a tolerably clear head, to remember orders; a long body to display ample waistcoats; but he had the shortest of legs. Consequently, to keep up with four brisk bridesmaids, he had to recur to a sort of amble which he had not practised since his boyhood. It was a great relief to his failing breath when the second arch rose in sight. There they found the band of decorators busy at their work of interweaving evergreens.

'How pretty!' said Miss Curtis to her young companions. This is a great improvement since yesterday. You have done wonders, Trimnell. But you look pale and tired.'

Glad you approve, miss,' he replied, with a bow; and hope Miss Morton will approve of it likewise. Mr. Saunders has assisted me with his advice, and he promises to return in twenty minutes. I have worked hard at it, miss. To save time, I breakfasted before daylight, and have not yet been home to dinner.'

'Come with us, then, and take some refreshment; we are going straight to Seven Acres.'

The common was soon crossed, and Trimnell's residence reached. The heavy-hearted widow smiled, in spite of her sorrows, at the cheerful looks of her visitors.

'Miss Morton has sent you,' Miss Curtis announced, two bottles of good port wine. And here is a Christmas pie for you, James Trim

nell, because you are a good lad. Mind, you are not to bite it, but to cut it with a knife. I am glad, Susan Blake, to see you here, giving the widow a helping hand. This pie is for you; and this for you, Mrs. Trimnell. Yours, Henry Trimnell, is a little larger. Taste it at once; it is better than it looks. good-bye to you all; there will be plenty of time to finish the arches.'

So

'Cut it with a knife, indeed!' James exclaimed, as soon as the ladies were out of sight. 'I'm not much used to fashionable ways; but it looks good, so I'll just take a bite at it.'

Aha!' he cried, at the first mouthful. What, in the name of goodness, is this? Whoever made the pie didn't stone the plums. It's a golden sovereign! Two, three, four, five sovereigns in my pie! Hurrah! hurrah! for Miss Farleigh Morton!'

'And yours, Susan?' anxiously asked Trimnell, through whose mind a glimpse of hope was darting. 'Ten sovereigns!' said Susan, in astonishment; and you know,

Henry, what is mine is yours.' 'And yours, mother?'

'The same. Exactly ten.'

'All of no use,' he sighed. ""Twas kindly meant; but 'tis not enough.' 'Look and see what your own contains.'

'Put all together, and it's useless. Twice five-and-twenty is not enough.'

Susan pushed Trimnell's pie towards him. He opened it carefully, and found therein a small circular silver box. Lifting the lid, he took from it a folded paper. As he read it, the blood rushed to his face, and he staggered as if under a blow.

'Look, Susan! Read it! can it be true? I'll go and show it to Mr. Saunders at once.'

With a bounding step and a beating heart, he hastened back across the common. He found the steward quietly admiring the arch, and almost regretting that so tasty a structure should be so ephemeral and so useless. At the sight of the paper fluttering in the wind, Mr. Saunders inquired, 'Your bill for this job? Very well; there can be no

nell's Seven Acres; and debit my private account with the same.

"Tell him that if at any future time he wants money on his land, I hope he will give us the preference over the other party.

""I remain, dear Sir, ་ "Faithfully yours, ""ANGELICA FARLEIGH MORTON."

'It is quite correct,' Mr. Saunders went on, folding the paper and returning it. Rather an expensive freak, although she can well afford it. You are a lucky fellow, Trimnell; and I wish you joy heartily, but you had better not show that box about too much; else every yeoman in difficulties will be down upon us. Come to me the day after Christmas, with all your papers and a full statement of your affairs. And recollect, Trimnell, that at the next election there will now be no "Party" in the way to prevent your voting for Miss Morton's candidate.'