Then was Susie's really proud moment. She would sit at the old piano-- never in perfect tune--and play one old-fashioned waltz and old-fashioned polka after another. She played a set of the Lancers too when she was pressed to do so; but was often heard to say she considered them too rompy. Notwithstanding, she was never tired of rattling out her old tunes on the old piano; and Reid thought of the dancing and of the happy minute when he would get Florence to himself under the stars and compare her bright eyes to those luminaries. When he had finished dressing, he went downstairs and spoke to his father. "You are going in a cab, I suppose, as usual?" "Well, yes; there's a good deal of snow on the ground, and it is some little distance to the Arbuthnots', so I told Hoggs to call. Dinner is at seven. The cab will be here at ten minutes to the hour." "You don't greatly mind if I walk on in advance?" "Of course not, my boy, if you prefer it. But be sure you put on good stout walking shoes, and change them for your pumps when you get in." "All right, Dad," said this soldier of his Majesty's --th Foot; and, slipping on an overcoat, he stepped out into the frosty night. Yes; the stars at least would be propitious. Although there were great banks of cloud coming up from the west, they were moving slowly, and he did not think they would interfere with the enjoyment of that Christmas dinner. Lieutenant Reid was the very first of the guests to arrive at the Arbuthnots' house. In fact, he was so much too early that the little maid who was hired for the occasion had not her cap on, and kept him waiting at the hall door for a considerable time. But at last he was admitted, and was ushered into the Colonel's smoking-room, that apartment being set aside for the accommodation of the gentleman guests. There Reid changed his walking shoes for his pumps, took off his overcoat, looked at his face in the glass, saw that his button-hole was in perfect order, and was the very first to enter the drawing-room. There he saw to his immense satisfaction Susie Arbuthnot standing by the fire quite alone. The Colonel had not yet come downstairs. Susie, in that grey barege, with a flush of excitement all over her face, Susie with her very stout figure, her diamond brooch, her pearl necklace, gave Reid an extraordinary desire to laugh. While all the world was going on, poor Susie was standing still. It flashed through his mind after a minute's reflection that when he and Florence were married, they would send her anonymously a fashionable new dinner dress. He began to consider what colour it ought to be--purple, mauve, red, violet? He decided to leave the choice of the dress to Florence, who, of course, would know all about such things. Meanwhile, he went eagerly up to shake hands with the little lady. "You are early, Captain," she said.