Hare Street I was considering this and rehearsing what I should
say. I still had some hesitation upon the point, for I remembered how
strange and shy she had been when I had last been there, and had thought
it to be because perhaps she believed that she was being flung at me by
her father. But the memory of my jealousy had worked upon me very much
--that jealousy, I mean, that I had had when His Grace of Monmouth had
come and made his pretty speeches; and I was all but resolved to put all
to the test, one way or the other. I had thought of her continually: in
all that I had seen--in even the sorrowful affair in Westminster Hall
and the merry business a fortnight after at the supper--I had seen it,
so to say, all through her eyes and wondered how she would judge of it
all, and wished her there. The sting of my jealousy indeed was gone: I
reproached myself for having thought ill of her even for a moment; yet
the warmth was still there; and so it was in this mood that I came at
last to the house, at supper-time.

It was extraordinary merry and pretty within. Neither was below stairs
when I came; for my Cousin Tom was in the cellar, and my Cousin Dolly in
the kitchen; and when I went into the Great Chamber it was all
untenanted. But the walls were hung all over with wreaths and holly: and
there were wax candles in the sconces all ready for lighting the next
day. But the parlour, where were the hangings of the Knights of the
Grail was even more pretty; for there were hung streamers across the
ceiling, from corner to corner, and a great bunch of mistletoe united
them at the centre.

As I was looking at this my Cousin Dolly ran in, her hands all over
flour; and as I saw her--"Here," I said to myself, "is the place where
it shall be done."

She could not touch me or kiss me, because of the flour; but she
permitted me to kiss her, my cold lips against her warm cheek; and her
eyes were as stars for merriment. There is something very strange and
mystical about Christmas, to me--(which I think is why the Puritans were
so savage against it)--for I suppose that the time in which our Lord was
born as a little Child, makes children of us all, that we may understand
Him better.

"Well, you are come then!" said Dolly to me--"and we not ready for you."

"I am ready enough for home," said I. And she smiled very friendly at me
for that word.

"I am glad you call it that," said she.

* * * * *

There