"You'd better get a taller ladder," said Mr. Diggs. "It's getting on towards 'alf-past eight. We can't be all night 'anging that bunch of mistletoe, you know." Melissa paused in her work long enough to devote an appraising look upon Watson. "You look very handsome up there, Watson. It gives you a very good height. Straighten your legs out a bit. If you stand up as straight as you can you'll be as tall as Mr. Diggs THINKS he is." "See here, my fine lady," began Diggs, annoyed. "Oh, I beg pardon, Mr. Diggs," cried Melissa. "I didn't see you." "You'll get your walking papers if you don't keep your place," said Diggs ominously. "And I'll keep my place if I don't get my walking papers," retorted Melissa, airily. "And what's more," went on the butler, "you'll get the sack anyway if you don't stop filling the kids up with them yarns of yours. The nurses were telling Mrs. Bingle that the children didn't go to sleep for hours last night, they were that scared." "Seeing ghosts, dragons and goblins all night long," said Hughes, the second footman, shoving a big chair into position. Chairs from all parts of the house had been brought to the drawing-room and arranged in a semi-circle in front of the huge fireplace, at one corner of which stood Mr. Bingle's reading lamp, accurately placed at the edge of a costly little Italian table. There were big chairs and little chairs, soft chairs and hard ones, chairs of velvet and chairs of silk, chairs of ancient needle-point and chairs that could not be sat upon. "I didn't tell any ghost stories yesterday," said Melissa. "I told 'em about robbers and kidnappers." "Get the ladder, Watson," said Diggs. "What are you standing there for? Do you think it's a pedestal you're on?" "I just wanted to say that three of the kids saw sea-serpents and crocodiles in their dreams--" "Don't lay it to me, Watson," broke in Melissa. "I'm not to blame if they had delirium tremens. I didn't give them anything to drink." "I--I shall have to speak to Mrs. Bingle about you, Melissa," exclaimed Diggs severely. "Do! She is always complimented when you condescend to speak to her, Mr. Diggs." "Don't scrap," put in the gardener mildly. "Remember it's Christmas Eve." "Oy-yoy!" groaned Watson. "We've all got to listen to Mr. Bingle read Dickens again. It will be the sixth time I've 'eard The Christmas Carol in this 'ere room." He departed in quest of the tall step-ladder, banging Hughes on the shins with the small one as he swung past. Hughes said something under his breath and then, with a quick glance at Melissa, went on: "I will say this for the old boy, he makes Christmas a merry one for all of us." "Must I remind you again, Hughes, not to speak of the master as 'the old boy'? Please remember that you were engaged as a TRAINED servant." "Well, I'd have you to know, Mr. Diggs, that I'm not one of your bally English servants. I'm as good an American as any one, and I say what I please."