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.'

There Constance became inattentive. Mr. Poulter had come up, and
wanted to be useful, so she jumped up with a handful of nosegays to
instruct him in laying them by each plate, leaving Dolores to herself,
which she found dull. The other two, however, came back again, and the