“O, Cathalina! It matches the pendant! How did you know that I love rings better than anything else? But, honey, you give me these lovely things, and what shall I do?” “I’ll show you.” Cathalina took the flashing little ring from between the satin pads and slipped it on Hilary’s finger. “‘With this ring I thee’—present! Good, it fits. Do you remember when I was trying my sapphire ring on your finger down by the lake one day?” “Was _that_ it!” exclaimed Hilary, turning her well-shaped hand to see the opal flash green and red in the light from the fire. Like the pendant, the ring had its tiny diamonds, too. “How beautiful it is!” “Look inside,” suggested Cathalina. Hilary drew off the narrow circlet and read the fine letters, “C. to H. Greycliff.” Cathalina’s stocking was almost a duplicate of Hilary’s, but in the toe she found a dainty wrist watch. She already had an exquisite little watch, but this was in a style for which she had expressed a desire. “Rah-rah for Greycliff!” cried Cathalina rather irrelevantly, waving the empty stocking, and slid out of bed. Etta came promptly at her ring and assisted both girls. It was Hilary’s first experience at having a maid do her hair. She sat still with sparkling eyes, thinking of the vivid description which she could give June and the boys of little Hilary in the lap of luxury. “Toot-toot!” and “tat-tat” on their door, “Merry Christmas, ladies!” “Merry Christmas, you old fraud!” responded Cathalina. “I called ‘Merry Christmas’ hours ago and you heard me too, didn’t you now, Philly?” “Couldn’t I have been asleep?” “Yes, you _could_, but you weren’t.” “So long,” said Philip; “I smell turkey. Toot-toot.” “They _did_ give him that horn! Isn’t it awful? We’ll hang that and my ‘dollie’ on the tree.” “Is everybody coming to dinner?” “Yes; the whole ‘gens,’ root and branch!” “Don’t quote Latin; it makes me think of Dr. Carver. Poor thing, I hope she has a nice Christmas!” “Why ‘poor thing’? She looks down on us! And besides, since the ‘Herr Professor’ came, she lives in hopes, as Ann Maria says.” “My! Do lady Ph.D’s ever get married?” “How should I know?” returned Cathalina saucily. “Ready, Hilary? Come on, then to hot waffles and real maple syrup!” With arms around each other, they started in step down the stairway and began to sing a Christmas carol. Philip, appearing in the drawing room door, joined in with a clear baritone. Then Mr. and Mrs. Van Buskirk came from the library to join the young people and they all went singing to the dining room. CHAPTER XVI WHEN THE CLAN GATHERED