"Humph," said the Major again, and led the way out of the yard without another word, Esmeralda following, looking over her shoulder at the little group of watchers with a smile of such triumphant enjoyment as took away Mademoiselle's breath to behold. She looked inquiringly at Pixie, but Pixie and Dennis were in silent convulsions of enjoyment, and only waited until the riders were out of hearing before exploding into peals of laughter. "That bates all for the cleverness of her! Miss Bridgie has been fretting over that old habit for a couple of years, and trying to wheedle a new one out of the Major, but it's Miss Joan that can twist him round her little finger when she takes the work in hand! That was a funny stain, that got the worse the more you brushed it! She never got that on the hunting-field. Go back to the house, Miss Pixie, dearie, and tell the mistress the new habit is as good as paid for. The Major's not the man I take him for, if he passes the tailor's door this morning without stepping inside!" CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS. Esmeralda strolled into the house in time for afternoon tea, and smiled complacently around as she warmed herself at the fire. "Blue cloth!" she announced triumphantly. "No more serge, thank you, but good, solid cloth with a fine surface to it, and a smart little coat instead of a bodice, which was pure unselfishness on my part, for I should have been fitted well enough, and the man pressed it on me, but I thought of you, me darling, and the agony it would be to you to have your waist misjudged by a couple of inches, so I stuck to the coat, and I hope you are grateful!" "I am," said Bridgie frankly; but there was a pained expression mingling with her satisfaction, and presently she added slowly, "So Dennis was right, and you got your way again. I have been trying for ages to persuade father that we needed a new habit, but he paid no attention to me." "You didn't go about it the right way, me dear. You are fifty times cleverer than I, but there is one thing you don't understand, and that is how to manage men! They hate and detest being told what to do, and the secret of getting round them is to make them believe that what you want is their own suggestion. You have to be very cunning, and that's just what you can never manage to be!" "Yes, she can!" came a shrill cry from the doorway, as Pixie burst into the room and made a bee-line for the tea-table. "Indeed she can now, Esmeralda, so it's no use denying it. She can, perfectly well!" The three listeners looked at each other with questioning glances, for such vehemence was somewhat bewildering on the part of one who could not possibly have heard the first part of the conversation. "What can she do?" queried Esmeralda sternly. "Whatever you say she can't," replied the champion, unabashed; and at that the cloud rolled off Bridgie's brow, like mist before the sun.