you are both on your honor."

Full of delight, the children bounded off, skates in hand, and soon
arrived at the gay scene by the frozen lake. The ice was already crowded
with skaters, big and little, and Ralph and Dolly espied two or three of
their friends as busy as themselves fastening on skates.

The band played, the sun shone, and merry voices and laughter echoed
through the frosty air.

"Let's have races!" cried Frank, one of Ralph's schoolfellows. "You take
your sister, I'll take mine."

They all four flew across the ice, backwards and forwards again and
again, Frank and his sister winning at every turn.

"Now change partners," said Frank, pairing off with Dolly, "perhaps that
will be fairer."

"I'm rather tired of going over the same road," said Dolly presently, as
she and Frank stood resting, while the other two ran a short race by
themselves. "It looks so lovely out there. A broad sheet of ice without
any one on it, and all the trees at the foot of the terrace bending over
the lake. See, Frank, icicles are hanging from every twig; wouldn't you
like to go close to them?"

[Illustration: Ring Happy Bells Across the Snow]

"Perhaps it isn't safe," replied Frank. "No one seems to venture so far;
I shouldn't wonder if the ice were thin."

"But our weight would be nothing on such a great space," urged Dolly. "I
don't mean far off, only just beyond the point."

Mother's words came back to her, but mother did not know. She was not
there to see how beautiful it all was, and of course Dolly did not mean
to run into danger.

They began skating near the point. Again Dolly turned towards the
terrace.

"Oh, Frank! I must," she said. "I see a long icicle like a sword with a
hilt; it's on a low branch--you can reach it for me." She sped away, and
Frank followed. In a moment they were side by side, and close to the
coveted icicle. As Frank raised himself to grasp it, he saw a thin
stream of water welling up from beneath the ice on to the bank. He
seized Dolly's hand. "Back, back!" he cried wildly. "The ice is giving,
we shall go in." Away they fled. The ice creaked, but their weight was
light, and once more the point was gained in safety.

"Dolly," said Ralph, hurrying up to his sister, "have you forgotten what
mother said?"

"No," replied Dolly, trying to laugh, though really ready to cry after
the fright she had undergone; "but mother isn't here to see the icicles.
I wanted one for her, and--"

"We are o