ishment. "Oh, that I will," said she,
warmly.

"You will take your chance of being snowed up?"

"I am afraid I shall not be so fortunate," was the charming reply.

The Squire turned to Coventry, and said slyly, "I would ask you to join
us, sir; but it is rather a dull place for a gentleman who keeps such
good company."

"I never heard it spoken of as a dull place before," said the young man;
"and, if it was, you have taken a sure means to make it attractive."

"That is true. Well, then, I have no scruple in asking you to join us;"
and he gave Grace a look, as much as to say, "Am I not a considerate
person?"

"I am infinitely obliged to you, Mr. Raby," said Coventry, seriously; "I
will come."

"You will stay to luncheon, godpapa?"

"Never touch it. Good-by. Well, then, Christmas-eve I shall expect you
both. Dinner at six. But come an hour or two before it, if you can: and
Jael, my girl, you know you must dine at the hall on Christmas-eve, and
old Christmas-eve as usual, you and your sister and the old man."

Jael courtesied, and said with homely cordiality, "We shall be there,
sir, please God we are alive."

"Bring your gun, Coventry. There's a good sprinkling of pheasants left.
By-the-bye, what about that pedigree of yours; does it prove the point?"

"Completely. Dorothy Raby, Sir Richard's youngest sister, married Thomas
Coventry, who was out in the forty-five. I'm having the pedigree copied
for you, at a stationer's near."

"I should like to see it."

"I'll go with you, and show it to you, if you like."

Mr. Raby was evidently pleased at this attention, and they went off
together.

Grace accompanied them to the door. On her return she was startled by
the condition of young Little.

This sudden appearance of his uncle, whom he hated, had agitated him not
a little, and that uncle's interference had blasted his last hope. He
recognized this lover, and had sided with him: was going to shut the
pair up, in a country house, together. It was too much. He groaned, and
sank back in his chair, almost fainting, and his hands began to shake in
the air, as if he was in an ague.

Both the women darted simultaneously toward him. "Oh! he's fainting!"
cried Grace. "Wine! wine! Fly." Jael ran out to fetch some, in spite of
a despairing gesture, by which the young man tried to convey to her it
was no use.

"Wine can do me no good, nor death no harm. Why did I ever enter this
house?"

"Oh, Mr. Little, don't look