In the evening Nell put her last stitch into Ted’s tie. "’Tis done! ’Tis done! Denis, go forth! Bring thy friend to our hospitable portals and bid him enter. Guide him to this our Stronghold, and leave him with us. Retire thyself to thy bedroom, where, secreted beneath thy bed, thou shalt find a fair fat stocking, once a foot-ball stocking that clad thine own unworthy leg. Take it to thy manly bosom, creep down the stairs, and hie thee to the house of that same Ted Lancaster, our very good friend. Crave speech with the stately butler—" "Halt! Is thy servant without his proper complement of brains that thou giv’st him his directions twice over? Or is it as thy servant with humility suspects, merely to give exercise to the pendulum within thy coral lips?" "Oh, hurry up!" Molly expostulated. "It’s getting late!" "I go to fetch the British Ted!" Denis vanished. They found paper and pen, and Nell wrote, "Not to be looked into till the morning;" then they began to collect their various presents to Ted, and poke them well down in a foot-ball stocking of Denis’s. "Now for the trimmings!" said Nell. "The rattle—in you go! Farthing dolly. Packet of my toffee. Six little pink jube-jube mice. ABC bricks. India-rubber tailless donkey. _Is_ that all?" "Pin a piece of holly on to it, Nell," adjured the Atom. "I can’t find room for the donkey. Out you come, box of bricks—oh!" Her gasp was echoed by two other voices. K.K. pattered across to the door, wagging her tail. There was a burst of smothered laughter; they all knew that rap on the door. Then Nell reached out impulsively and turned out the lamp. "Come in!" Ted Lancaster stumbled into the room, which was lit only by the glow of a very small fire. "Oh!" he ejaculated. "Am I in the way?" A wild giggle from Molly. An ecstatic thrill in the Atom’s voice as she responded, "Sure you’re always welcome, my boy!" "That’s my acushlum, _I_ know! Any mistletoe about?" "It’s nice to sit in the dark sometimes, don’t you think?" Nell suggested. "Oh—ah—yes. Are you telling stories?" At that Nell grew helpless; she couldn’t keep her gravity any longer. "Oh, Ted—I feel so silly—I can’t help it—" "I love to hear you," he replied with funny earnestness. "Do sit down," she said. "Oh, not there—that chair is—" He sat on the edge of the table, which was worse. "Oh," said Nell, "the table’s rather crowded—" "Sorry!" Down he sat on another chair, and there was a fresh giggle from poor Molly, who was really suffering a good deal. "Won’t you come nearer the fire?" Nell suggested desperately. "No, thanks, I’m warm. It’s a beastly night—all slush and wet." The door was pushed open. "I say, can’t find him anywhere! What on earth shall we do if we can’t get—" "Ted’s here, Denis!" Three frantic voices gave him the information at the same moment. "Oh, by Jove, is he? Why on earth are you sitting in the dark, eh?" Nell could hear the laugh in his voice.