l."

"And you shall do it when I am not in the room. It would only
open wounds that time has skinned. I'll bring you down the key at
dinner-time." Then, assuming a lighter tone, "Your curiosity will be
punished; you will see your rival in beauty. That will be new to you."

Grace was half frightened at her own success, and I doubt whether she
would ever have asked for the key again; but Raby's word was his bond;
he handed her the key at dinner-time.

Her eyes sparkled when she got it; but she was not to open it before
him; so she fell thinking: and she determined to get the gentlemen into
the drawing-room as soon as she could, and then slip back and see this
famous picture.

Accordingly she left the table rather earlier than usual, and sat down
to her piano in the drawing-room.

But, alas, her little maneuver was defeated. Instead of the gentlemen
leaving the dining-room, a servant was sent to recall her.

It was old Christmas Eve, and the Mummers were come.

Now, of all the old customs Mr. Raby had promised her, this was the
pearl.

Accordingly, her curiosity took for the time another turn, and she was
soon seated in the dining-room, with Mr. Raby and Mr. Coventry, awaiting
the Mummers.

The servants then came in, and, when all was ready, the sound of a
fiddle was heard, and a fiddler, grotesquely dressed, entered along with
two clowns, one called the Tommy, dressed in chintz and a fox's skin
over his shoulders and a fox's head for a cap; and one, called the
Bessy, in a woman's gown and beaver hat.

This pair introduced the true dramatis personae, to the drollest violin
accompaniment, consisting of chords till the end of each verse, and then
a few notes of melody.

"Now the first that I call on
Is George, our noble king,
Long time he has been at war,
Good tidings back he'll bring.
Too-ral-loo."

Thereupon in came a man, with black breeches and red stripes at the
side, a white shirt decked with ribbons over his waistcoat, and a little
hat with streamers, and a sword.

The clown walked round in a ring, and King George followed him, holding
his sword upright.

Meantime the female clown chanted,--

"The next that we call on,
He is a squire's son;
He's like to lose his love,
Because he is so young.
Too-ral-loo."

The Squire's Son followed King George round the ring; and the clowns,
marching and singin