"Well, children," said Mr. Tristram when the first excitement had subsided, "I must say I am heartily pleased. This is delightful! I take some credit to myself for having helped on this most excellent arrangement." "No one thanks me for anything," thought Maggie; but she had the prudence to remain silent. "We had better start on our picnic now," said Mr. Tristram, and immediately the whole party climbed into the wagonette. The horses started; the wheels rolled. They were off. By-and-by Merry felt her hand taken by Maggie. Maggie just squeezed that hand, and whispered in that very, very rich and wonderfully seductive voice of hers, "Oh, I am glad! I am very, very glad!" Merry felt her heart thrill as Maggie uttered those words. She answered back, turning her face to her young companion, "To be with you alone would be happiness enough for me." "Is it true, Cicely," said Mrs. Tristram at the moment, "that your cousin, Aneta Lysle, is coming to stay with you?" "Oh yes; but I had half-forgotten it in all this excitement," said Cicely. "She will arrive to-morrow.--Maggie, you'll be glad, won't you?" "More than delighted," said Maggie. "It is too wonderful," said Cicely. "Why, it will soon come to pass that half Mrs. Ward's school will be all together during the holidays. Fancy, we two, and you two"--she touched one of the Tristram girls--"and you, Maggie, and then dear Aneta; why, that'll make six. What a lot we shall have to talk about! Maggie, you and Aneta will be our two heroines; we shall always be applying to you for information." The conversation was here interrupted by Jackdaw, who pinched Maggie on the arm. "You're not attending to us," he said. "Nonsense, Jackdaw!" "Well, stand up for a minute; I want to whisper to you." Maggie, who never lost a chance of ingratiating herself with any one, obeyed. "Jack dear, don't be troublesome," said his mother. "I am not," said Jackdaw. "She loves it, the duck that she is!" "Be quick, Jackdaw; it's very difficult for me to keep my hold standing up," said Maggie. "How many chocolates can you eat at a pinch?" whispered Jackdaw in her ear. "Oh, forty," replied Maggie; "but I should be rather ill afterwards." "We've got some in our pockets. They're a little bit clammy, but you don't mind that?" "I don't want any just now, dear boy; and I'll tell you why. I want to be really starving hungry when the picnic begins." "That's a good notion, isn't it?" said Jackdaw.--"I say, Andrew, she wants to be starving hungry when the picnic begins!" Maggie resumed her seat, and the boys went on whispering together, and kicking each other at intervals, and rather upsetting that very stolid personage, Mr. Charles, the Meredith Manor coachman.