"How _can_ you say such things, my love?" inquired Mr. Aubrey, kissing her forehead. "When Agnes was born, you know," she murmured inarticulately. Her husband folded her tenderly in his arms in silence. On the occasion she alluded to, he had nearly lost her; and they both had reason to expect that another similar season of peril was not _very_ distant. "Now, Charles, you _can't_ escape," said Miss Aubrey, presently, assuming a cheerful tone; "now for dear old Yatton!"---- "Yes, Yatton! Positively you must!" added Mrs. Aubrey, smiling through her tears. "What! Go to Yatton?" said Mr. Aubrey, shaking his head and smiling. "Nonsense! I--i--t ca--n't--be--done!--Why, we must set off to-morrow! They've had no warning!" "What warning does mamma require, Charles?" inquired his sister, eagerly. "Isn't the dear old place always in apple-pie order?" "How you love the 'dear old place,' Kate!" exclaimed Mr. Aubrey, in such an affectionate tone as brought his sister in an instant to his side, to urge on her suit; and there stood the lord of Yatton embraced by these two beautiful women, his own heart (_inter nos_) seconding every word they uttered. "How my mother would stare!" said he at length, irresolutely, looking from one to the other, and smiling at their eagerness. "What a bustle everything will be in!" exclaimed Kate. "I fancy I'm there already! The great blazing fires--the holly and mistletoe. We must all go, Charles--children and all!" "Why, really, I hardly know"---- said Mr. Aubrey, hesitatingly. "Oh! _I've_ settled it all," quoth Kate, seeing that she had gained her point, and resolved to press her advantage, "and, what's more, we've no time to lose; this is Tuesday,--Christmas-day is Saturday--we must of course stop a night on the way; but hadn't we better have Griffiths in, to arrange all?" Mr. Aubrey laughed--and--rang the bell. "Request Mr. Griffiths to come to me," said he to the servant who answered the summons.