Mrs. Shelley was quite right in saying Fairy’s sorrows were short-lived. For one whole day she had been very miserable, the day after Rex had asked her, and she had promised, to be his wife, when Mr. Leslie had called and told her she was not to see Rex any more till the carnival. Coming so soon after her great happiness, Fairy could not bear this sudden reverse with equanimity, and so, as Reginald had told the baroness, she had cried all day, until John had meekly yielded and allowed another interview. After this Fairy was quite satisfied; Rex loved her, and that was in itself happiness. That he would be true to her she no more doubted than she doubted the sun would rise the next day, and so, though of course she would have preferred him to remain at Oafham and spend his afternoons with her, she acquiesced cheerfully in Mr. Leslie’s plan, and was as bright and happy during the months of October and November as it was possible for even such a little sunbeam to be. When November dawned, and it was arranged that Fairy should go to the Leslies on the 3rd for a week or two, her excitement was so great that Mrs. Shelley told her if she did not take care she would be ill and unable to go, at which she only laughed, and said there was no fear of her being ill, and as for eating, she was much too happy to be hungry. One little thing was rather troubling Fairy; she was half afraid her dress was not quite all it ought to be for such a grand gentleman as Rex’s father, whose acquaintance she was to make on the 5th. If it had only been summer-time it would not have mattered, for nothing could be prettier than one of her simple white frocks; they would do for anyone or anything; but she could not wear a thin white dress in November. Her best winter dress was a red merino, new for the occasion, and as she dressed herself in it when it came home, she could not help acknowledging inwardly, as she glanced at her dainty little self in the glass, her delicate complexion set off to the best advantage by the dark red merino, if she only had some lace to put round the throat, her toilet would compare favourably with the blue silks of the Leslie girls. [Illustration: THE LEWES CARNIVAL.]