hen Nancy asked me to help her, I helped with
a will. When Miss Pauline came over to see us--which she did unknown to
her aunt--I gave her the best of welcomes, and we started our midnight
picnic for no other reason in life but to have her with us."

"When did you have your midnight picnic?" asked Miss Tredgold very
gently. "When? Kindly give me the date."

The farmer looked into her face. When he saw how white she was, and when
he glanced at the two little girls, Briar and Patty, his heart smote him.

"I was given over to evil feelings at that time," he said, "and I don't
pretend for a moment I did right. Miss Pauline didn't want to be coaxed,
but Nancy was a rare temptress. We did our best, and the children
came--three of them. You want to know the date, madam. It was the date of
Miss Pauline's birthday--the night after her birthday. Oh, yes, madam, we
had our wild time--a right good time, too." The farmer gave a short
laugh. "You thought your young ladies quite out of the reach of the
influence of Farmer King and his family; but you never guessed, madam,
that all through one long beautiful summer night we had revels in the
woods--dancing, madam; and a picnic, no less; and the young miss crowned
with flowers as queen, and given the best presents we could give her. We
took a drive under the oaks and elms and beeches of the New Forest, and
you never guessed, madam--never. But Miss Pauline, Miss Briar, and Miss
Patty were there, and Miss Pauline was our queen. Ah! she had a gay
birthday, but you ask her what sort of a birthnight she had. It is true
she was queen of the day, but that was nothing to the time when she was
queen of the night. Well, sir"--the farmer's eyes shone as he spoke----
"I meant it as a big joke, and I was desperately proud of myself; but I
saw even then that Miss Pauline was fretting, and I spoke to her quite
seriously, and I said, 'If ever the time comes when you want a friend, I
am the man for your purpose. Don't you forget that; because you are a
Dale and I am a King, and you Dales have always been our liege lords, so
don't you forget that.' And the child, sir, she believed me. Lots of
things happened afterwards, but of them I have nothing to say until last
night. Miss Pauline came back to me, and she reminded me of what I had
said to her that night in the woods. And, sir--and, madam--I mean to keep
my promise. I came home at midnight, and there she was standing at the
gate, white and slim and pr