cheap to keep! Well, who is coming out with
me this morning? I have an appointment in Roskillie at 10:30, but I
can't be there now until 11, so there's no use hurrying. Put on your
cap, piccaninny, and come to the stables with me. The girls will look
after you, Mademoiselle, and find some means of amusing you for the
day."

"Oh yes, we'll take care of her!" said Esmeralda lightly; then, as the
boys withdrew after their father, she planted her elbows on the table
and looked across under questioning eyebrows. "Please, have we to call
you `Mademoiselle' all the time? Haven't you a nice, pretty French name
that we could call you instead?"

"Therese! Yes, please do! I should feel so much more happy!" cried
Mademoiselle eagerly, and Bridgie nodded in approval.

"Therese is charming, and it's so much more friendly to use Christian
names at Christmas-time. I shall begin at once. We want you to help us
with the decoration of the rooms, Therese! We shall be just a family
party, but Jack will be at home, and we will have games and charades to
make it lively. We might rehearse something this morning, mightn't we,
Joan dear?"

"_I_ mightn't!" replied "Joan dear" promptly, "because why?--I've got
something better to do. There is plenty of time still, and you will
agree with me later that my business is important. If you put on a
cloak, Therese, I will come back for you in ten minutes, and take you to
the stables to join father and Pixie. It will amuse you, I'm sure."

She left the room without waiting for a reply, and Bridgie heaved a sigh
of disappointment.

"She's just mad after horses, that girl. Now she will be off with
father, and not a sight of her shall we have until afternoon. It's easy
to say there is time to spare, but to-morrow we must decorate, and look
after all the arrangements for Jack's return, and I do hate a scramble.
However, when Esmeralda says she won't, she won't, and there's an end of
it. You had better go with her, dear, while I interview the servants."

"I suppose I had," said Mademoiselle slowly. She thought Esmeralda
selfish and autocratic, but she was fascinated, despite herself, by her
beauty and brightness, and anxious to know her better; so she obediently
went up to her room to heap on the wraps, for the morning was cold,
though by this time the sun was struggling from behind the clouds. On
the way down she was joined by Esmeralda in riding costume--a most
peculiar riding cos