“Well,” said Shone, and his face beamed with peace and goodwill, “well—to—be—sure.” “And”—when the first course was over—“I have another pleasure in store for you.” “That is——” “See!” Shian introduced a little Christmas tree, manufactured out of a branch of fir, and to it were hung two—just two—articles: a cap lined with swansdown, and trimmed with cherry ribbons, and a long pair of newly-knitted stockings. “There,” said Shian, “for baby and you—your Christmas presents. I bring it now, whilst he is awake, that he may enjoy it with us.” “Well,” gasped Shone, “this is delightful! How lovely the child will look in such a glorious bonnet. And how warm my legs will be in these beautiful stockings.” “That is not all,” said Shian. “What more can there be?” “This!” And she dished up a real Christmas plum-pudding. When Shone saw this the tears came into his eyes. “Why, Shian!” he said, and felt a pinch of the heart, “you have thought for every one but yourself!” “No, no, father,” said she. “I have had some of the goose, and shall of the plum-pudding.” “Some—some!” said he impatiently. “But there is nothing for yourself particularly.” Then he jumped up, ran behind her at table, caught her head in his arms, pressed her face to his heart, and covered brow and lips with kisses. “O Shian! You have my love—my very heart!” “Because of—baby?” “No, not only; because——” “Of the goose?” “No—no, not only; because——” “Of the plum-pudding?” “No—no; I mean——” “Because of the long stockings?” “No, Shian; because of yourself, your own dear, sweet self—the best in the world!” “That is my Christmas box, Shone! You could not have given me a better.” HENRY FROST HENRY FROST There is no myth relative to the manners and customs of the English that in my experience is more tenaciously held by the ordinary Frenchman, than that the sale of a wife in the market-place is an habitual and an accepted fact in English life. It is—so far as my experience goes—quite useless to assure a Frenchman that such transfer of wives is not a matter of every-day occurrence and is not legal; he replies, with an expression of incredulity, that of course English people endeavour to make light of, or deny a fact that is “notorious.” In a book by the antiquary Colin de Plancy, on Legends and Superstitions connected with the Sacraments, he gives up some pages to an account of the prevalent English custom.