tion set in the midst of a rain-swept plain, but Bridgie's
fertile brain came to the rescue, and proposed a scheme which kept the
young people busy for the rest of the afternoon.

"I vote we have a fancy-dress dinner to-night!" she cried, at the
conclusion of lunch. "Not an ordinary affair, but like the one the
Pegrams enjoyed so much when they were spending the winter in
Grindelwald. `A sheet and pillow-case party,' they called it, for that
is all you have out of which to make your dress. I will open the linen-
box and give you each a pair of sheets, and a pillow-case for head-gear,
and you must arrange them in your own rooms, and not let anyone see you
until the gong rings. It really will be quite pretty--all the white
figures against the flags and holly, and we shall feel more festive than
in our ordinary clothes. I think it will be great fun, don't you?"

Great fun indeed! The O'Shaughnessy family was always ready for any
excitement, and particularly so at Christmas-time, a season when we all
feel that we _ought_ to be festive, and are injured in our minds if
there is nothing to make us so.

Esmeralda fell at once to pleating her table-napkin into one shape after
another, Mademoiselle smiled over a happy inspiration, whereupon wily
Pat put on his most angelic look and asked--

"Will you dress me, Mademoiselle? A man's no good at this sort of
thing. You can't fasten sheets with screws, and I'm no hand at fancy
stitching. I've an idea I'd look rather well as--" He whispered a few
words in her ear, and Mademoiselle threw up her hands, and laughed, and
nodded in emphatic assent.

Pixie and Miles fell to Bridgie's share, while the Major declared that
he would have nothing to do with such foolishness, but with a ruminating
expression on his face which belied the words.

Bridgie went upstairs immediately after lunch, and, opening her linen-
chest, apportioned its contents among the different members of the
family. Some wanted large sheets, some wanted small; some begged for
frills to their pillow-cases, some preferred plain; but at last all were
satisfied, and were further supplied with tape from the various work-
baskets, while Pixie was sent a round of the bedrooms to pick up the
pins, with which the floors were liberally scattered, as the demand in
this direction was so large as to be practically unlimited.

Esmeralda flew off at once, with the boys in her train; but Mademoiselle
lingered to help Bridgi