what I like better than anything else, to be rich in the
Christmas holidays!" Jill cried rapturously, and Mrs Trevor smiled and
said--

"So he seemed to think. He asked my permission before sending his
presents in this form, and said he would like to give you money, because
when he was a boy an old lady used to send new coins to himself and his
brothers every Christmas in these same little envelopes, and he had
never forgotten the pleasure they gave him. Yes! You will feel rich,
but don't be in too great a hurry to spend your fortunes, for the
General may wish to speak to you on that point."

Jill shrugged her shoulders disgustedly.

"Bother! I hope he won't want us to spend it sensibly! That would take
away all the fun. I want to keep it in my purse, and fritter it away
just as I like. What's the good of giving presents, and not letting you
use them as you like?"

"Well, well, what's the use of grumbling before you know if there is
anything to grumble about?" returned Mrs Trevor, laughing. She moved
away, carrying her bundle of letters, and the children followed her
example, and spent a happy half-hour examining, displaying, and
comparing cards and calendars.

Then came lunch, a glorified lunch with "party" sweets, and dessert,
finishing up with a big dish of chestnuts to roast over the fire. The
doctor was at home for the afternoon, having made the round of his
serious patients in the morning (abominably selfish of anyone to be ill
on Christmas Day!), and that fact alone gave a festivity to the
afternoon tea, while ever in the background lurked the delightful
anticipation of presents--presents to come!

Other people had done with all their excitement before now, and had even
grown accustomed to their new possessions, but Betty and Jill donned
last year's party dresses for dinner in a flutter of anticipation, and
then hurried downstairs, each with an armful of parcels to add to the
store which had been accumulating in the library all day long.

The sofa was full of them--neat brown--paper parcels, bulky parcels,
shapeless parcels, tissue-paper parcels, large and small, dainty and the
reverse, boxes, envelopes, and a mysterious pyramid covered with a
sheet, over which Pam mounted jealous guard. Betty had just time to
arrange the parcels on two large trays, and see the larger articles
conveyed into the dining-room and hidden behind a screen, before the
gong rang, and dinner began.

There was the orth