‘There was a person, Herr Muhlwausser, that father ordered some scientific plates from--of microscopic zoophytes. He said he did not know whether anything would come of it, but, in case it should, he gave my address, and left me a cheque to pay him with. I have it in my desk upstairs.’ ‘Very well, my dear,’ said Lady Merrifield, ‘you shall have the letter when it comes.’ ‘The men are come, my lady, to put up the tables. Miss Mohun says will you come down?’ came the information at that moment, sweeping away Aunt Lilias and everybody else into the whirl of preparation; while Dolores remained, feeling absolutely certain that a letter was being withheld from her, and she stood on the garden steps burning with hot indignation, when Mysie, armed with the key of the linen-press, flashed past her breathlessly, exclaiming-- ‘Aren’t you coming down, Dolly? ‘Tis such fun! I’m come for some table-cloths.’ This didn’t stir Dolores, but presently Mysie returned again, followed by Mrs. Halfpenny, grumbling that ‘A’ the bonnie napery that she had packed and carried sae mony miles by sea and land should be waured on a wheen silly feckless taupies that ‘tis the leddies’ wull to cocker up till not a lass of ‘em will do a stroke of wark, nor gie a ceevil answer to her elders.’ Mysie, with a bundle of damask cloths under her arm, paused to repeat, ‘Are you not coming Dolly? Your dear Miss Constance is there looking for you?’ This did move Dolores, and she followed to the coach-house, where everybody was buzzing about like bees, the tables and forms being arranged, and upon them dishes with piles of fruit and cakes, contributions from other associates. All the vases, great and small, were brought out, and raids were made on the flower garden to fill them. Little scarlet flags, with the name of each parish in white, were placed to direct the parties of guests to their places, and Harry, Macrae, and the little groom were adorning the beams with festoons. The men from the coffee-tavern supplied the essentials, but the ladies undertook the decoration, and Aunt Adeline, in a basket-chair, with her feet on a box, directed the ornamentation with great taste and ability. Constance Hacket had been told off to make up a little bouquet to lay beside each plate, and Dolores volunteered to help her. ‘Well, dearest, will you come to me on Sunday?’ ‘I don’t know. I have not been able to ask Aunt Lilias yet, and Gillian was very cross about it.’ ‘What did she say?’ ‘She said she did not think Aunt Lilias approved of visiting and gossiping on Sunday.’ ‘Oh! now. What does Gillian do herself?’ said Constance in a hurt voice. ‘She does come and teach, certainly, but she stays ever so long talking after the class is over. Why should we gossip more than she does?’ ‘Yes; but people’s own children can do no wrong.’