sorry to be absent to-night."

"And the Squire, is he quite well?"

"Yes, thank you. He is in London with mother."

At this moment a brownie with a hot face and looking rather
uncomfortable in his brown-velvet tights, accompanied by the most
spiritual-looking fairy it was possible to see, revolved slowly round in
the mazes of the waltz.

The brownie's honest face was raised to Molly's; his brown eyes were
full of a question; the fairy by his side had a far-away look. They both
floated away.

"Oh, what a charming little pair," said Mrs. Fortescue, Molly's friend.
"Do you know who they are, Miss Lorrimer?"

"That poor, hot brownie is my brother, Boris," exclaimed Molly; "and
that little girl is Nell, my sister."

The lady sat down again; and, Molly's partner coming up to claim her,
she joined in the dance, and forgot the question in Boris's eyes.

There was a commotion near the entrance door. Hester was seen to move
hastily forward. There was a call for Nan, who, accompanied by her
partner, Little Boy Blue, rushed quickly across the room, and the next
moment a tall, aristocratic-looking man was seen moving up the ball-room
with Hester's hand on his arm. Sir John Thornton had kept his word. He
had returned in time if not for the whole of Nan's birthday, at least
to see it out.

The matrons who sat about the room remarked on his appearance, and said
that they had never seen him look better, younger, or more cheerful.
They said what an admirable thing it was for Sir John to have Hester at
home; and, as Sir John himself was the best possible company in society,
he soon made his presence agreeably felt all over the room. In the
Squire's absence he naturally took the part of host; and no one could be
a more polished or charming host than he.

One of the many delightful features of this great fancy ball was the
presents which the fairy queen was to bestow upon her many subjects at
the end of the festivities. These presents lay piled up in comical
shapes all round her, and helped to form some of the billowy clouds on
which she was supposed to be resting. The poor little fairy queen
certainly looked most charming, and when the moment came for giving away
the presents, she would enjoy herself to the full; but just now she
could not help envying those fairies and brownies, who could jump about
and skip and dance and have a very good time, without being in quite
such a grand position as she was. On the queen fairy's head