rry? And, Nan, you must pass your cousin the Madeira."

They were all seated round the table in the small parlor. It was felt
to be a triumph when Sir Harry contrived to seat himself without
grazing himself seriously against the chiffonnier or knocking over a
piece of the blue-and-gold china.

"What a cosey little cabin of a place!" he said with critical
approval; "but it is rather small to hold you all,--eh, Aunt
Catherine?"

"Yes: it is small after Glen Cottage," she sighed. "We had such a
pretty drawing-room there."

"And such a lovely garden!" added Dulce.

"Oh, this crib in not fit for you? We will alter all that," he
returned, complacently. "I am the head of the family now, and I must
take my uncle's place. I am awfully rich, Aunt Catherine; so you have
only got to tell me what you and the girls want, you know." And then
he rubbed his hands as though he were pleased about something.

But no one took any notice of this speech, hardly knowing how to treat
it.

When luncheon--which was, indeed, the family dinner--was over, the
girls carried him off to the work-room, and showed him specimens of
their skill.

"Very nice; very well done," he observed, approvingly.

"I am glad you showed such pluck; for why any woman should think it
_infra dig._ to make a gown for another woman quite beats me. Why,
bless you, in the colonies we fellows turned our hands to anything!
Well, Aunt Catherine, they are plucky ones, these girls of yours. But
we must put a stop to this sort of thing, you and I. I don't think my
uncle would have liked it. And as I am in his place----" And here he
thrust aside some amber satin with his great hands, with a movement
full of suggestive possibilities.

He took them all out to walk after that. Mrs. Challoner, indeed,
begged to be excused,--the poor lady was already sadly fatigued, and
longed for her nap,--but he would not dispense with Mattie's company.

"We were acquaintances first," he said to her; "and I look upon you as
a sort of cousin too, Miss Mattie." And poor little Mattie, who had
never met with so much friendliness before, quite blushed and bridled
with pleasure.

Mr. Drummond, who was coming out of his own gate, stood as though
transfixed as the procession came towards him. The four girls were
walking all abreast, Mattie in the middle; and beside them stalked a
huge man, in rough, rather outlandish attire, looking like a son of
the Anakin, or a red-headed Goliath.

Archie s