nion.

"I think he changed his mind when he heard Miss Kendal was going with
papa," said Cecil.

"I believe we are all here," said Colonel Rolleston, who was to lead the
procession, coming out with the great lady of the party, an eccentric
dowager peeress, who having "tired her wing" with flying through the
States, was now perching awhile before re-crossing the Herring-pond. Miss
Kendal and a subaltern, pressed into the service, placed themselves in
the back seat, well smothered in wolf-skins, and the first sleigh moved
off to the admiration of the school-room party at the window, who, with
the partiality of childhood, thought their papa's the most beautiful
turn-out in the city.

"Mr. Vavasour's horse is up the bank," screamed Fleda. "How much better
papa drives; he went off so quickly and quietly. I wouldn't be Bluebell!
Mr. Vavasour can hardly get out at the gate."

"If papa had to drive one horse before another, perhaps he couldn't
either," said Lola, who had been watching with great interest the erratic
course of Jack's leader.

Twenty sleighs were off in a string, the crowd cheering them to the echo
as they dashed through Queen's Park; but on gaining Carleton Street they
were obliged carefully to keep the track, as the sides of the road were
deep and treacherous.

"The Colonel is making the pace very slow," remarked Mr. Vavasour; "like
to drive, Miss Leigh? they are going very smoothly."

Bluebell, whose knowledge of horses was about equal to her opportunities
of instruction, unhesitatingly assented. Jack's gratification thereat was
somewhat tempered, when he saw the bewilderment apparent in his flighty
pair at the very original manner in which she handled her "lines."

"I suppose," said that young lady, with the composure of ignorance, "we
are all right as long as this bald-face horse keeps its nose pointing at
Captain Delamere's back."

"Quite so," said Jack, cheerily; "don't take the whip, you are only
winding it round your own neck. I'll give Dahlia a lick in the face if
she turns out of the rank."

They were winding down a hill, and took a road at the bottom at right
angles to it. Colonel Rolleston, in the first sleigh, was blandly
pointing out to Lady Hampshire the _coup d'oeil_ of the whole procession
as they described two sides of a triangle.

"Do you like my plumes?" asked Jack, relaxing his surveillance on Dahlia,
as her left ear, which had been laid back in a suggestive manner, resumed
its