h her. Indeed, she even ventured to raise herself on tiptoe
and kiss him in gratitude, which was taking a great liberty; only
Archie bore it for once.

"She really looked very well, poor little woman!" thought Archie, when
Mattie had at last exhausted her raptures and bidden him good-night.
"She would not be half so bad-looking if some one would take her in
hand and dress her properly. The women must be right, after all, and
there is a power in dress. Those girls do nothing by halves," he
continued, walking up and down the room. "I would not have believed
they had made it, if Mattie had not told me. 'Rash and designing,'
indeed! just because they are not like other girls,--because they are
more natural, more industrious, more courageous, more religious in
fact." And then the young clergyman softly quoted to himself the words
of the wise old king, words that Nan and her sisters had ever loved
and sought to practise:

"Whatsoever thy hands findeth to do, do it with thy might."

CHAPTER XXVI.

"OH, YOU ARE PROUD!"

On the following Monday morning, Nan said in rather a curious voice to
Phillis,--

"If no customers call to-day, our work-room will be empty. I wonder
what we shall do with ourselves?"

To which Phillis replied, without a moment's hesitation,--

"We will go down and bathe, and Dulce and I will have a
swimming-match; and after that we will sit on the beach and quiz the
people. Most likely there will be a troupe of colored minstrels on the
Parade, and that will be fun."

"Oh, I hope no one will come!" observed Dulce, overjoyed at the idea
of a holiday; but, seeing Nan's face was full of rebuke at this
outburst of frivolity, she said no more.

It was decided at last that they should wait for an hour to see if any
orders arrived, and after that they would consider themselves at
liberty to amuse themselves for the remainder of the day. But, alas
for Dulce's hopes! long before the appointed hour had expired, the
gate-bell rang, and Miss Drummond made her appearance with a large
paper parcel, which she deposited on the table with a radiant face.

The story was soon told. Her silk dress was such a success, and dear
Archie was so charmed with it--here Mattie, with a blush, deposited a
neatly-sealed little packet in Nan's hand--that he had actually
proposed that she should have another gown made after the same pattern
for every-day wear. And he had taken her himself directly after
breakfast down to