nted
excitement was visible on almost every face. Bustle was in every
action. Preparations were going on all round, and, as some members of
the community were bent on giving other members a surprise, there was
more or less of secrecy and consequent mystery in the behaviour of every
one.

By breakfast-time little Mrs Nobbs, the blacksmith's laughter-loving
wife, had nearly laughed herself into fits of delight at the crown,
which she assisted Mrs Welsh and the widow Lynch to fabricate. The
last had devised it, Mrs Welsh had built it in the rough, and Mrs
Nobbs had finished it off with the pretty little wreath of red and white
branching coral that formed its apex. Apart from taste it was a
stupendous erection.

"But don't you think that it's too big and heavy?" cried Mrs Nobbs,
with a shrieking giggle and clapping of her hands, as she ran back to
have a distant view of it.

"Pooh!" exclaimed Mrs Lynch contemptuously, "too heavy? No, it's
nothin', my dear, to what the kings an' quanes of Munster wore."

"But Miss Pauline is neither a king nor a queen of Munster, an' I do
think it's a bit over-heavy," objected Mrs Welsh, as she lifted the
structure with difficulty.

"Well, ye might take off the wreath," was the widow's reply.

Mrs Nobbs removed the only part of the erection that was really pretty,
but still it was pronounced by Mrs Welsh to be too heavy, especially
for the fair and delicate brows of Pauline Rigonda.

While they were thus engaged Dr Marsh entered the hut, where, for the
sake of secrecy, the crown had been prepared, but Dr Marsh was a
privileged man, besides he was there professionally; little Brown-eyes
was sick--not seriously, but sufficiently so to warrant medical
intervention.

"Well, what have we here, ladies?" said the doctor blandly, "part of the
throne, eh?"

"Sure it is, in a sort of way, for it's the crown," answered Mrs Lynch,
"an' they think it's over-heavy."

"Not at all; by no means," cried the doctor heartily. "It's splendid.
Put the wreath on--so. Nothing could be finer. Shall I carry it up for
you? The coronation is fixed for noon, you know, so that we may have
time to finish off with a grand feast."

"No, no, doctor dear. Thank 'ee kindly, but we must cover it up, so's
not to let the people see it till the right time."

"Well, see that you're not late with it."

Having caused Brown-eyes to put out her little tongue, and felt her
pulse, and nodded his head gravely o