said Nancy.

"The fact is," said Pauline, "we forgot to put on our outdoor shoes, and
the dew is very heavy."

"Dear, dear! That will never do. Father, what do you think these silly
little misses have done? They've come out in their house slippers."

"I never!" cried the farmer. "You are silly little ladies; that I will
say. I tell you what it is, Nance; we don't want these children to catch
cold. Shall we drive back to The Hollies and get them some of your shoes?
You have enough, I take it, to shoe a regiment."

Nancy laughed.

"They wouldn't fit," she said. "They'd be too big for any of them."

"Well, then," said the farmer, "they shall all three take their shoes off
and wrap their feet in these warm rugs. They can put them on again, and
when the dancing begins they will soon dry."

"Are we to dance?" said Pauline, her eyes sparkling.

"You wait and see," said Nancy.

"Yes, you wait and see," cried the farmer. "There are all sorts of
surprises. And there's a birthday queen of this here party, ain't there,
Nancy?"

"I have heard tell that there was," said Nancy. As she spoke she took
Pauline's hand and dragged the little girl forward to sit by her.

The drive took some time, and the farmer and his party were extremely
loud and riotous and merry. As they passed under the huge oak-trees some
one in a dogcart went by, and the light from a lantern fell on his face.
Pauline recognized Dr. Moffat. The moment she saw him he looked round,
and she fancied that he must have seen her, and that his eyebrows went up
with an expression of astonishment. But he did not look again; he only
continued on his way.

"I do hope he didn't see me," said Pauline to Nancy.

"What matter if he did? He's thinking of his profession, and not of a
little girl like you. I wonder where he is going to."

"To Farmer Jackson," said Farmer King. "He broke his leg a fortnight ago,
and they say mortification is setting in and he can't live. Poor Farmer
Jackson! Here are we all on a rollick, so to speak, a midnight picnic in
summer, and all our hearts as light as froth, and the farmer lying on the
flat of his back and like to pass away before morning."

Pauline felt uncomfortable. She turned her head away. She did not wish to
think of the sober events of life at that moment.

By-and-by the long drive came to an end. The girls again put on their wet
slippers, and the next moment they found themselves inside a large
marquee, with a boarded