hat if your nephew is coming down
at all, do have him in June instead of next month! Jim is coming home
then, and Ned will be here, and we have all sorts of plans in the air.
It would be nicer for him when there would be some men to take him
about, and he would have a really good time. Don't you think he could
come in June?"

"He could probably arrange to stay on a little longer. He will be with
me for some considerable time, as there is a great deal of business
which we must do together. I will tell him what you say when I write,
and impress upon him that June is a period of special attraction!"

"And then he will be at our sale!" said Nan gleefully to herself; and
the same thought occurred to each of her sisters, when this latest piece
of news was unfolded.

"How lovely!" gushed Agatha. "Now he can buy my shaving-case! Father
said it was a useless bauble; but a rich young man can afford baubles,
and I feel sure he would like the look of it upon his dressing-table.
I'll mark it `Sold,' and say I kept it specially for him."

"I don't believe he will come at all. Men detest bazaars; but if he
does, we must make him buy far more than that," said Elsie firmly. "If
we can't sell that veil-case, we will pretend it is for ties, and that
no gentleman's wardrobe is complete without it. And we'll raise all the
prices whenever he comes near!"

"I don't suppose he'll eat toffee, but he must hand round the tea and
make himself useful. We can keep him busy at our stall," said Chrissie;
while Lilias stared into space, and smiled in a soft, dreamy fashion.
"After all," she said thoughtfully, "after all, I think he had better
help me, instead of Ned! Ned knows quite a number of the people, and
could make himself agreeable going about and talking; but this poor
fellow will know nobody but us. Yes! yes! he shall be my assistant in
the punt!"

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

A BUDGET OF LETTERS.

One bright May morning Mrs Rendell sat by her desk ostensibly busy with
accounts, but in reality watching the movements of her daughter Lilias,
who lounged on the window seat reading the letters which had just been
delivered by the second post. Mrs Rendell herself had brought these
letters into the room, and consequently knew full well who were her
daughter's correspondents, and which envelope contained the separate
effusions. The dainty grey, with its edging of white, came from
Lilias's bosom friend, a certain Ella Duckworth, who