Full of hope for her friends, her merry spirit kept the family all alive at the Hall. Her young friends were to stay until Christmas, and Madeline promised them great sport should there be snow enough for a sleigh-ride. Tony Willikins, her warm admirer at school, often stepped in at Woodcliff to pay his respects, and having seen Mademoiselle at church, and met her occasionally in her walks with Madeline, that prankish little girl had contrived to bring about quite an intimacy between the two. Many a bouquet that was sent for Madeline was conveyed to Mademoiselle, with Tony's compliments; and Tony himself was often chagrined, on seeing the French teacher innocently wearing the flowers intended for the roguish child. Tony had somehow learned a few French phrases, and, much to the amusement of our young friends, he made a barbarous use of his slim stock of language, not at all aware of his false pronunciation. His salutation of "Maddymorthelle," always set our young friend in a titter; and his persevering efforts taxed Mademoiselle's French politeness to the utmost. Poor Tony was a complete butt for Madeline and Lavinia, and many a joke did they play upon the unconscious youth. One afternoon, Tony paid them a visit in what he considered splendid costume. He had been told that small-clothes were to be the fashion that winter, so, to be ahead of all others, had ordered a new suit of clothes; and presented himself at Woodcliff in black tights, with black silk stockings, pumps, silver knee and shoe buckles, and, to crown all, a pair of blue glasses, which he had been told was becoming; he wore also a fancy-colored guard ribbon, and a diamond pin. Tony thought himself irresistible; and when Madeline entered the parlor, and saw the ludicrous figure, it was next to impossible to restrain her laughter. At that moment, fortunately, Fanfan performed some of her amusing pranks, which gave Maddy an opportunity of indulging her risible faculties, and if Tony had not been such a weak youth, he might have seen that the laugh continued much longer than Fanfan's oft-repeated tricks could call forth. "Mith Madeline, I want to thow you my new guard ribbonth," and Tony opened a package which contained every imaginable color. "Which do you think the prettieth, mith?" "I like blue; that is my favorite color." Immediately Tony changed his scarlet guard for a blue one; and, much to the amusement of the young girls, he continued, "Blue ith my color now." "Won't you sing, Tony?" asked Madeline. "Yeth, if Maddymorthelle will play for me. What shall I thing, mith?" "'How can I leave thee!'" answered Madeline, with a merry twinkle. "That is tho affecting, mith; I am afraid that I can't get through it, but I'll try."