s, lemon
punch, apple toddy, or eggnogg.

When the first quadrilles were completed, another set of dancers took the
place of the first, and the former rested on their laurels, watched their
successors on the floor, gossiped and flirted, and made flying excursions
to the dining room in their turn.

And high festivity continued until the tall clock in the passage struck
twelve, when the music stopped in the middle of "Malbrook," and all then
mingled together, shaking hands and wishing each other

"Happy New Year."

Then all the dancers formed a double line the whole length of the parlor,
for the giddy, whirling, exhilarating Virginia reel, with which the ball
ended.

Finally, there went around a huge jug of hot mulled port wine, from which
a goblet was filled for every guest.

And when this had been drunk amid much jesting and laughter, the company
put on their wraps and hoods, bade good-night to their hosts, entered
their sleighs, and, with more jesting and more laughter, started for a
moonlight drive over the frozen snow to their several homes.

And so ended the New Year's Eve party at Oldfield Farm.

CHAPTER XLVI

THE LADY FROM THE MINES HAS A PLAN

New Year's morning dawned clear and cold.

The family of Mondreer, on account of the party at Oldfield on the
previous evening, and the long sleigh ride home "in the wee, sma' hours"
before the dawn, slept later than usual that day, so that it was nine
o'clock before they were all gathered around the breakfast table, to renew
their New Year's greetings over the first morning meal of the year.

The pleasant party of the previous evening was discussed, and then the
program of the passing day.

The holiday was to be kept very unostentatiously.

It had been the annual custom of many years for Mr. and Mrs. Force to
entertain the Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Peters to dinner at Mondreer on New Year's
Day. The custom had not been neglected on the present occasion, and the
rector of All Faith and his wife were expected to come. Young Dr. Ingle,
in consideration of his betrothal to Natalie Meeke, had been invited to
meet the Peters.

These were the only arrangements for keeping New Year's Day at Mondreer.

As there was no church service on that day, the party from the rectory
arrived early in the forenoon, for the people of the neighborhood, even on
festive occasions, kept the healthful, old-fashioned hours, and dined soon
after noon. The rector and his wife were a