before them; and how finally the chaise drew up in fine style before the _Hanging Gate_, and Lucy almost fell into Betty Schofield's welcoming arms--all this the reader must imagine. And there, sure enough in the big room upstairs, with its mysterious cupboard labelled R.A.O.B., the sacred room in which the Royal Antedeluvian Order of Buffaloes declared every lodge night that they would "hunt the buff, would hunt the buff, would hunt the buffalo," though where to find it thereabouts would have puzzled them to tell. In this great room a glorious fire roared and cast its welcome warmth and the walls were hung with the Christmas decorations of the lodge, and the Christmas holly and mistletoe looked yet fresh and green, and the long narrow table down the centre was white with Betty's best napery, and Moll, feigning mighty indignation because Tom had caught her round the waist and kissed her smackingly under the mistletoe, busied about making a great clattering of plates and spoons and knives and forks, whilst a distracting odour of roast goose came up the narrow staircase. Mr. Redfearn was there betimes, and Aleck, all in his Sunday best. Then came the down-sitting, Mr. Redfearn at the table-head, Tom at the foot. Aleck facing Ben, and Hannah, and Lucy supporting the chair and vice-chair. Moll o' Stute's and Jack had their dinner later on. How many helps of turkey _with_ sausage and of goose _with_ stuffing and apple sauce, and of plum-pudding _with_ brandy-sauce Ben had I entirely refuse to tell, but only say with all his talk he came in a very lame second to Aleck. "It only wanted Mr. Black to make it just perfect," said Mr. Redfearn, "but we'll drink in silence to the memory of as good a man as ever walked i' shoe-leather." I refuse to tell, too, in what glowing terms Mr. Redfearn proposed the health of Tom Pinder, and many a happy return of the day, and of how Tom completely broke down in acknowledging the toast, and of how Ben proposed Mr. Redfearn's health, and Mr. Redfearn Ben's, and Tom the ladies, and then how they drank Mrs. Schofield's and the ladies with a three times three and God bless 'em, and then started the toast list all over again, till Lucy was more than glad when Moll brought in the tea-pot and cups, and they all drew round the fire, and the men lighted their pipes and sobered down to rational talk. Be sure Tom had to tell of what he was going to do now he was his own master, and of how Ben had "weighed in" to help him, and he had to explain till he was nearly hoarse before Betty could understand what a co-op mill was to be like. And then nothing would satisfy Betty but she must offer to put £50 "into th' consarn, sink or swim, it were all one to her if it 'ud do 'em any good;" and then Tom had to begin all over again and make it clear that only the actual workers were to have any interest in the mill. "An' wheer are yo' buyin' yo'r wool?" asked Tom o' Fairbanks.