"But Mary Brewster won't let her. Mary just bosses Grace about till I think it's positively disgraceful," whispered Ruth. John Gardiner sauntered up. "Got everything you want?" he asked in a manful effort to be attentive. "No!" replied Nan, promptly, with a twinkle in her eye. "I want a bicycle, please. Won't you get me one?" and she held out her plate as if to have it supplied with the desired article. The tall fellow laughed. "With pleasure," he said, and took the plate and marched off with it. "O dear! I hadn't finished my salad!" lamented Nan, looking regretfully after him. Louie managed to telegraph their dilemma to Harley Morris, who promptly responded to it by appearing with another plate of salad and a dish of sandwiches. He did not go away after Nan was served, but stayed on and led in the laugh when John Gardiner reappeared with a tiny ice cream bicycle daintily poised against a mound of jelly, which he presented to Nan with a low bow full of mock dignity, saying: "You have only to command and you are obeyed. Here is your wheel, and may it go as fast as if it were geared to a hundred." "Thank you," replied Nan, accepting the joke and the plate at the same time. "It'll go fast enough, no fear of that. Eating is never up-hill work with me, and this has nothing to do but coast, you see," and she swallowed the first mouthful down with a jolly laugh. "Look over at Mary Brewster! She's trying her best to pretend she ignores us," whispered Ruth, but not so low but that the young fellows could hear. "Is one who ignores an ignor--amus?" asked Harley Morris, grinning broadly at his own witticism. "Yes," promptly answered Louie. "And in this case especially so, for she doesn't know what she's losing." There were more games after supper, and last of all came the jolliest part of the whole evening, an old-fashioned Virginia reel, Miss Blake and John Gardiner leading and the rest following with the heartiest of zest. In and out they tripped and up and down they ran till all were fairly out of breath. Then suddenly Miss Blake seized John's hand, and away they sped toward the library, the rest following helter-skelter, where the Christmas tree stood all lighted and ablaze. "All hands round!" shouted John, as they formed a ring and pranced gayly about the fragrant tree. Then up rose the governess' cheery voice, singing the dear old Christmas carol that is always new: "Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to the new-born King; Peace on earth and mercy mild; God and sinners reconciled." And the rest joined in and made the house re-echo with their hearty chorus: "Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies; With th' angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem!" It seemed to melt the hearts of every one there, for the voices that presently said "Good-night," were full of peace and good-will, and even Mary Brewster's had a ring of sincerity in it as she murmured: