er gruel and the fire was low--and that Thomas had gone home.'

'Why, what time is it, Sabina?'

'_Eight_ o'clock,' I enunciate distinctly. For one moment Mary's eyes
lit up with something like heroism, but before she could frame a
sentence, the playful want of interest exhibited by Sabina, who leaned
against the mantel-piece, straightening her cuffs, did the business, and
she collapsed.

'Please tell Thomas, when he comes to-morrow, Sabina, I would rather not
have him go home quite as early, because you see,' (oh how I mentally
groaned at this humiliating nonsense,) 'I might want him. You won't
forget, will you, Sabina?'

'No, marm. Is there anything else?' Having now made herself prim, and
taken a quiet survey of the library and viewed me carefully, she was now
desirous of retiring.

'One moment, Sabina,' said Mary, beginning to realize her false position
before me, 'Who is down stairs?'

'Well, I couldn't tell you, marm.'

'Why not?'

'There are so many.'

'How, do you mean so many?'

'Why, marm, it's the cook's birthday; and she thought you would'nt mind
her having a few friends, so she invited her _cousins_,' (looking at me
as though she would ask, 'what have you got to say to that, Mr. Man?')

'Well, Sabina,' said Mary, coloring up in confusion, 'just sign your
name to this--it is only as a witness.'

'I cannot write, marm,' answered dandy Amazon, very short at being
exposed.

'Then send Elizabeth here.'

'She is out too, marm.'

'What? Elizabeth has gone out?'

'Yes marm, you see,' (becoming confidential,) 'the cook and her has
quarrelled like--she neglected to ask her to her little party till late
this evening, and so she got huffy and put on her things and dashed out
of the house,' (at this time I had either an attack of the ague or was
laughing so hard internally that it leaked through.)

'Is Dinah in?'

'Yes marm.'

'Ask her, please, to come here.'

Sabina tripped off with a satisfied air, and five--ten--fifteen minutes
elapsed and no Ellen. I took out my memorandum and quickly wrote down a
few valuable plans on the coming campaign. The clock struck half past
eight, and my sister opened the entry door and listened--the kitchen
door soon shut and somebody came up stairs slowly, with a waiter full of
something.

'Is that you, Dinah?'

'Yes marm.'

'Why didn't you come before?'

'I don't know, mum.'

'Didn't Sabina tell you I wanted you?'

'No, mum. She told me you wanted to