"Don't flatter me, my dear. I dislike it extremely," returned Lady Hayes with such an obvious look of satisfaction the while that Darsie laughed in her face, and laughed unreproved. Arrived at the Hall, the guests were escorted through the perilously slippery hall, on which the mats seemed to turn into fresh pitfalls and slide beneath the feet; then through a side-door on to a miniature lawn, in the centre of which stood Mrs Percival, sweetly smiling, and ejaculating endlessly: "Delighted to see you! _So_ nice of you to come!" before passing the visitors on to her husband and children who were ranged at discreet intervals along the sweep of the lawn. The girls whispered dramatically to Darsie that for the time being they were tied, literally tied by the heels, so she sat demurely by her aunt's side under the shade of a great beech-tree, listened to the band, spilt drops of hot tea down the front of her white dress, buttered the thumbs of her white kid gloves, and discovered the unwelcome but no doubt wholesome fact that there were other girls present who appeared just as attractive, or even more so than herself! Then the band began to play item number four on the programme, and Noreen Percival came forward with a sigh of relief. "At last I am free! They've all come, or practically all, and we can't wait for the laggards. The Hunt begins at three o'clock. Mother thought we'd better have it early, as it would shake them up and make them more lively and sociable. You'll have to search by yourself, Darsie, for as we have all done some of the hiding, it wouldn't be fair to us to go about in pairs. There are piles of presents, and your eyes are so sharp that you are sure to find two or three. You mustn't open them on the spot, but bring them up to the cedar lawn, where mother will be waiting with the old fogies who are too old to run about, but who would like to see the fun of opening. I _do hope_ I find the right thing! There's the sweetest oxydised buckle with a cairngorm in the centre that would be the making of my grey dress. I have set my heart upon it, but I haven't the least notion where it's stowed. It may even have been among my own parcels, and of course I can't go near those..." "If I get it, we'll swop! I wish I knew the garden better. I don't know of _one_ good hiding-place except those I made myself... Perhaps I shan't find anything at all." "Oh, nonsense! Keep your eyes open and poke about with your feet and hands, and you can't go wrong. The paper's just a shade lighter than the grass. Remember!"