waiting for a real good
chance.

This brings us to an afternoon when the Gardens were white with snow,
and there was ice on the Round Pond; not thick enough to skate on, but
at least you could spoil it for to-morrow by flinging stones, and many
bright little boys and girls were doing that.

When Tony and his sister arrived they wanted to go straight to the
pond, but their ayah said they must take a sharp walk first, and as she
said this she glanced at the time-board to see when the Gardens closed
that night. It read half-past five. Poor ayah! she is the one who
laughs continuously because there are so many white children in the
world, but she was not to laugh much more that day.

Well, they went up the Baby Walk and back, and when they returned to
the time-board she was surprised to see that it now read five o'clock
for closing-time. But she was unacquainted with the tricky ways of the
fairies, and so did not see (as Maimie and Tony saw at once) that they
had changed the hour because there was to be a ball to-night. She said
there was only time now to walk to the top of the Hump and back, and as
they trotted along with her she little guessed what was thrilling their
little breasts. You see the chance had come of seeing a fairy ball.
Never, Tony felt, could he hope for a better chance.

[Illustration: One day they were overheard by a fairy]

He had to feel this, for Maimie so plainly felt it for him. Her eager
eyes asked the question, 'Is it to-day?' and he gasped and then nodded.
Maimie slipped her hand into Tony's, and hers was hot, but his was
cold. She did a very kind thing; she took off her scarf and gave it to
him. 'In case you should feel cold,' she whispered. Her face was
aglow, but Tony's was very gloomy.

As they turned on the top of the Hump he whispered to her, 'I'm afraid
nurse would see me, so I shan't be able to do it.'

Maimie admired him more than ever for being afraid of nothing but their
ayah, when there were so many unknown terrors to fear, and she said
aloud, 'Tony, I shall race you to the gate,' and in a whisper, 'Then
you can hide,' and off they ran.

Tony could always outdistance her easily, but never had she known him
speed away so quickly as now, and she was sure he hurried that he might
have more time to hide. 'Brave, brave!' her doting eyes were crying
when she got a dreadful shock; instead of hiding, her hero had run out
at the gate! At this bitter sight Maimie stopped bla