The tea-room and the dairy are in constant use when the family are in residence at Sandringham. About four o’clock (all Sandringham clocks are kept thirty minutes in advance of London time) the Princess and her guests make their way on foot or by pony carriage usually along the pleasant road through the fruit gardens to the rendezvous. Should the Prince arrive before the Princess, he invariably awaits her arrival before entering. [Illustration: A BULL CALF AT SANDRINGHAM.] Of whatever number the party may be composed the services of one attendant (a footman) only are utilised. Fruit having been sent from the neighbouring garden, tea is served at half-past five o’clock, the party rarely separating until it is time to dress for dinner at seven-thirty. But not to Royalty and its guests alone go all the niceties produced at the dairy. When one hears that some hundreds of persons are employed on the estate, that there are workmen’s clubs, schools, almshouses, and cottage hospitals, all erected and cared for by the Royal owners, that there are no unemployed, work being found for everyone, that the fortnightly bill for wages alone is some six hundred pounds, it is easy to see that in a colony of this size there must always be a proportion of ailing and delicate. And with such a Princess as ours, having the able assistance of Miss Knollys and Sir Dighton Probyn, it is equally certain that no call is neglected and no want left unsatisfied. ERNEST M. JESSOP. HIS GREAT REWARD. CHAPTER I. A sharp ring at the door-bell made Mrs. Duncan start from her seat, with the exclamation, “I really believe I was nodding!” Slipping out of the room she said in a whisper to the maid who passed on her way to the hall door, “The doctor is out if it is anyone to see him, Janet, and Mr. Magnus will not be in for half an hour yet;” then quietly and quickly returned to her seat by the fire, and picked up her knitting, over which she had so nearly dozed off to sleep. A cheery voice asking if Mrs. Duncan was at home made her look up with a pleased smile of expectation on her sweet face, and in another moment the door opened to admit a silver-haired old gentleman, with kindly blue eyes and a most benevolent expression. “Mr. Mellis!” announced Janet, and withdrew. “How good of you to come and see me, dear friend!” exclaimed Mrs. Duncan, as she shook hands with her visitor; “and on such a day too! I declare it makes me shiver to look out of the window even.” “I suppose that is why you draw your curtains so early, then,” replied the Rector of St. Jude’s, as he settled himself in the comfortable chair his hostess pushed towards him. “Well, I must say you look cosy enough in here,” surveying the pretty lamp-lit room with its ‘homey’ look (if I may coin a word). It was a most inviting room, pretty enough for anything, yet totally devoid of that stiff starchy look one so often sees in drawing-rooms which are scrupulously kept spotless, but not used.