read
over the white grounds leading to the great slide, the good Bishop
following more slowly with the other "grown-ups," and softly clapping
his mittened hands.

"Good! Fine! I like that. Dorothy has ignorantly done the one right
thing. If she could only guess the secret which lies under all how
thankful she would be that she made this choice and no other."

CHAPTER XII

JOHN GILPIN JOINS THE SPORT

Old Michael stood on the wide platform at the top of the slide, his
face aglow with eagerness, and his whole manner altered to boyish
gayety. His great toboggan was perched on the angle of the incline,
like a bird poised for flight, while he was bidding his company to:
"Get on, ladies! Get on and let's be off!"

Behind and around him were the other men employees of Oak Knowe, and
every one of them, except the _chef_, enthusiastic over the coming
sport. But he, unhappy mortal, preferred the warmth of his kitchen
fire to this shivery pastime and had only entered into it to escape
the gibing tongues of the other servants. Yet in point of costume he
could "hold his head up with the best"; and the fact that he could, in
this respect even outshine his comrades was some compensation for his
cold-pinched toes.

The platform was crowded with toboggans and girls; the air rang with
jest and laughter; with girlish squeals of pretended fear; and cries
of: "Don't crowd!" or: "Sit close, sit close!"

"Sit close" they did; the blanketed legs of each tobogganer pressed
forward on either side of the girl in front, and all hands clasping
the small rod that ran along the sides of the toboggan.

The slide had been built wide enough for two of the sleds abreast, and
one side was usually left to the smaller ones of the experienced
girls, who could be trusted to safely manage their own light craft.

To Michael and the matron was always accorded the honor of first slide
on the right while the "best singles" coasted alongside on the left.
That morning, by tacit consent, the new "Dorothy Calvert" was poised
beside the big "Oak Knowe" and the Honorable Gwendolyn Borst-Kennard
was a proud and happy girl, indeed, as she took her place upon it as
guide and protector of ignorant Dorothy.

"She chose me of her own accord! I do believe she begins to really
love me. Oh! it's so nice to be just free and happy with her as the
others are!" thought Gwen, as she took her own place and directed her
mate just how to sit and act. Adding a final: