r poor little fingers. We
had just succeeded, with immense labour, in fastening it all round when
we made the cheerful discovery that a boxful of nails are scattered over
the floor beneath. You came in at the ghastly moment when it had dawned
upon us that it had all to come up again!"

Nan waved her hand with a tragic movement towards the little heap of
nails, then, making a sudden step forward, caught her foot in a loose
piece of braid at the bottom of her skirt, and went rushing forward at a
headlong run, to be caught in Ned Talbot's arms, and so rescued from
destruction against a corner of the wall.

"Nan, I told you that that braid was torn! I told you to sew it up! I
_told_ you you'd trip and hurt yourself," cried Maud reproachfully; but
the culprit only laid her hand over her heart, and gurgled in impenitent
amusement.

"But I didn't, you see! I came off all right. It's only a little end--
not worth talking about!"--and she took a couple of pins from the corner
of her apron and began fastening up the offending loop, while her sister
lifted her hands in disapproval.

"Pins? They won't hold! Better go upstairs and sew it at once. If you
don't, I warn you, Nan,"--but Maud did not get any further in her
prophecy, for Ned Talbot came over to her side, and looked down at her
with kindly, anxious eyes.

"Maud, you look so tired! Don't trouble any more about the carpet; I'll
manage it for you. What's the good of a great lumbering six-footer if
he can't manage a little job like that! I'll have it up and down again
before you can say `Jack Robinson,' and then we will have our talk in
comfort."

"It's more difficult than you think," said Maud dolefully; but Ned only
laughed, then proceeded to take off his coat and go down on his knees to
attack the obstinate rings. The workers took advantage of the
opportunity to adjust hair-pins, and divest themselves of soiled aprons,
while Lilias, having no such defects to remedy, developed sudden
interest in the work on hand, and knelt down on the floor beside him,
holding out first one implement and then another for his use. The
softly-tinted face and cloudy golden hair looked lovelier than ever
about the long white smock which she had adopted as her working costume,
and poor Maud stared at her own heated reflection with increased
disfavour, the while she whispered in Nan's ear--

"I suppose he expects to stay for the evening. So awkward! Can we ask
him, do you