er satisfaction, and presently she added slowly, "So Dennis was
right, and you got your way again. I have been trying for ages to
persuade father that we needed a new habit, but he paid no attention to
me."

"You didn't go about it the right way, me dear. You are fifty times
cleverer than I, but there is one thing you don't understand, and that
is how to manage men! They hate and detest being told what to do, and
the secret of getting round them is to make them believe that what you
want is their own suggestion. You have to be very cunning, and that's
just what you can never manage to be!"

"Yes, she can!" came a shrill cry from the doorway, as Pixie burst into
the room and made a bee-line for the tea-table. "Indeed she can now,
Esmeralda, so it's no use denying it. She can, perfectly well!"

The three listeners looked at each other with questioning glances, for
such vehemence was somewhat bewildering on the part of one who could not
possibly have heard the first part of the conversation.

"What can she do?" queried Esmeralda sternly.

"Whatever you say she can't," replied the champion, unabashed; and at
that the cloud rolled off Bridgie's brow, like mist before the sun.

"Oh, you precious goose! Bridgie can do everything, can't she? She
always could in your eyes. It's very silly of you, dear, but it's very
nice. I'm not at all vexed with you about it."

"You would be, though, if you were her true friend, but you always spoil
one another, you two!" cried Esmeralda lightly. Then she stared round
the room with a surprised expression, and added disapprovingly, "You
seem to have been fairly lazy while I've been out. I thought you would
have been getting on with the decorations. Whatever have you been
doing?"

"Roaming about, and actually daring to enjoy ourselves like other
people," retorted Bridgie, with what Mademoiselle was glad to recognise
as a decided nip of severity; "but from this minute there must be no
more playing until the work is finished. Dennis has cut the evergreens,
and we must begin making wreaths at once, so as to be in order when Jack
arrives to-morrow evening. We could have two hours' work before
dinner."

"I loathe making wreaths; they are so dirty and prickly, and I take a
pride in me hands; they are the only ones I have, and what's the use of
sleeping in white kid gloves, the same as if I were dressed for a party,
if they are to be scratched all over with that hateful holly?"