standing in the middle of the floor, revolved
slowly round and round, so as to display every feature of her costume.
It was certainly a marvel of ingenuity, and amidst the general chorus of
praise, Mademoiselle could not refrain from improving the occasion by
remarking that such a good needlewoman should have no difficulty in
turning dressmaker for her own and her sisters' benefit. The reply to
this insinuation was a threatening grimace, and Esmeralda made haste to
draw her father's attention to another topic.

"Aren't you proud of me now, father dear, and cut to the heart to think
that no one will see me but yourself? Sure it's a crime to waste all
this splendour on the desert air!"--and she rolled her eyes at him with
a languishing glance, and smiled so bewitchingly, that the Major rubbed
his hands in delight, and fell unhesitatingly into the snare.

"Faith, and you're right! It's a perfect crime. We should have asked
some of the neighbours to see you. Bridgie, why did you not think of
that, now? We might have had a pleasant little party to amuse your
friend, instead of taking all this trouble for nothing!"

"Not on two days' invitation, father, and besides, Jack is not here yet.
While he is at home, perhaps--"

"Yes, father, on New Year's Eve! Give us leave to ask some people on
New Year's Eve, and we will plan such a wonderful programme as will be
the talk for miles around. I'm brimful of ideas, and we have not had
any sort of entertainment for two years now. Say we may ask them, won't
you, dear?"

But at this the Major began to look uneasy, for it was one thing to find
fault with Bridgie for not having given an invitation in the past, and
quite another to be asked to sanction a fresh one in the future.

"Who will you be wanting to ask?" he queried anxiously. "Never did I
meet such an exacting child! My mouth's no sooner opened than you are
ready to jump inside! `A wonderful programme,' says she. And who's to
pay for it, may I ask? You would ruin me between you, you children, if
I hadn't saved you the trouble long ago. How much will this
entertainment be costing me now?"

"Oh, twopence halfpenny! Not more than that. We will kill the old
turkey, that is so tough that he is fairly pleading to be killed, and
use up the dessert from Christmas, and Mademoiselle shall make us some
of her fine French dishes, and there will be so much going on that there
will be very little time to eat. Make your mi