"And yourself, Mary?" asked the curate,
who had listened with some amusement to
this explanation.

"Oh! my dress will do up nicely: I can
make it quite fresh with a little ironing and
plaiting," said Mary, briskly. " Only say
we may, papa!"

Though all papa said was " Foolish
children!" it was said with a smile which
made his daughters fly round him with
kisses and delighted thanks.

A very pleasant little note from Mrs.
Lester arrived a few days before the ball,
hoping that they would allow the brougham
to be sent for them, and reminding the
sisters that they were to consider
themselves in her charge for the evening.

At last came the great day itself; and a
busy, bustling, happy day it was, such as
young ladies who go habitually to two or
three balls a night can form no idea of.
Such a perpetual buzz of chatter and laughing
went on, as would have driven the
curate wild, but for his peculiar power of
abstracting himself from what went on
about him. But even he showed some
interest when the girls made their appearance
in the parlour early in the evening, ready
dressed, in order that they might not keep
the brougham one moment waiting.

Laurry and Jack, who had insisted on the
unwonted extravagance of two pairs of
candles, in order that their sisters' magnificence
might appear to advantage, capered
about in a high state of excitement, in
dangerous proximity to the floating muslin
robes.

"You really are worth looking at, I must
say," cried Mr. Mackworth, smiling
approvingly; while his wife's eyes glistened
with pride at sight of her bright pair of
girls.

"Doesn't Cilla look charming?" Mary
cried, her eyes riveted on her sister: who
certainly did look remarkably pretty in the
white draperies, exquisitely fresh and crisp,
as if the sewing and trimming had been
performed by fairy fingers; wavy lines of green,
pale yet bright, wandered about under the
muslin, and peeped out more decidedly in
the folds of the bodice; and a wreath of real
holly encircled the small head, only the
green, white-speckled leaves in front, and a
few bright berries mixing with her soft,
loose hair at the back, like coral set in gold.
Mary's best care and skill had not been able
to give her own often-worn dress quite the
fresh, full sit of her sister's, but it was well
made and appropriate, and a few bright
dashes of holly trimmed it here and there,
matching the wreath, in which, mindful of
her own dark colouring, Mary had left a
larger number of berries than she had
allowed to Cilla. Nothing could have been
more becoming than the rich full colour was
to her; and at her openly expressed admiration
of Cilla, the parents exchanged a smile
which meant that Mary herself was by no
means unworthy of being admired and
sought after. Harry appeared to less advantage
than his sisters. It was not in Mary's
power to make his dress anything very first
rate; and he was at the age when a lad is
painfully conscious that he has ceased to
be a boy, and is a very poor imitation of a
man.

The brougham arrived, the trio started,
and, after a rather nervous and silent drive
through the dark lanes, entered the gates of
Nettlehurst, and came in sight of the house,
blazing with lights: the conservatory, with
its coloured lamps and lovely flowers, looking
like an enchanted palace.

The library was the reception-room, as
the drawing-room was given up to the
dancers. At the door stood Mrs. Lester, in
the handsome black robes which she had
never cast off since her early widowhood.
Her cordial greeting set the fluttered girls
at once at their ease. The brougham had
been sent so early that they were almost the
first arrivals. Very soon Mr. Langley
joined them:

"I am so very glad to see you here," he
said to Mary; "I was afraid Mr. Mackworth
would not let you come now."

"He was very glad for us to have the
pleasure," said Mary.

"Yes, but I feared that now perhaps he
might change his mind. It would have been
very cruel."

"But why should he?" asked Mary,
bewildered.

"Have you not heard——?" Mr. Langley
was beginning; but a fresh arrival called
him away, and the guests began rapidly to
assemble.

It was a great amusement to Mary to
watch them, and to see so many people who
had hitherto been only names to her. All
the higher class of professional people from
Brigham were the first to arrive: and a
little later the county families, of whom there
were many. Mary noticed with what marked
cordiality they appeared to welcome the
banker into their ranks, and her heart
swelled with a feeling of pride, for which
she laughed at herself, as she recalled all
she had lately heard her father and brother
say of the high reputation for honour, liberality