est; eager, should they bear, not to miss an hour's
skating. Wiggins shared their pleasures and their interest; and Mr.
Carrington, meeting the Terror on his way to his lessons at the
vicarage, drew from him a promise that he would not let his ardent son
take any risk whatever.

The ice thickened slowly on the ponds; then came another hard frost;
and the Twins made up their minds that it must surely bear. They ate
their breakfast in a great excitement; and as the Terror gathered
together his books for his morning's work they made their plans.

He had strapped his books together; and as he caught up one of the two
pairs of brightly polished skates that lay on the table, he said: "Then
that's settled. I'll meet you at Pringle's pond as soon after half
past twelve as I can get there; but you'd better not go on it before I
come."

"Oh, it'll bear all right; it nearly bore yesterday," said Erebus
impatiently.

"Well, Wiggins isn't to go on it before I come. You'll do as you like
of course--as usual--and if you fall in, it'll be your own lookout.
But he's to wait till I come. If the ice does bear, it won't bear any
too well; and I'm responsible for Wiggins. I promised Mr. Carrington
to look after him," said the Terror in tones of stern gravity.

Erebus tossed her head and said in a somewhat rebellious tone: "As if I
couldn't take care of him just as well as you. I'm as old as you."

"Perhaps," said the Terror doubtfully. "But you are a girl; there's no
getting over it; and it does make a difference."

Erebus turned and scowled at him as he moved toward the door; and she
scowled at the door after he had gone through it and shut it firmly
behind him. She hated to be reminded that she was a girl. The
reminder rankled at intervals during her lessons; and twice Mrs.
Dangerfield asked her what was distressing her that she scowled so
fiercely.

At noon her lessons came to an end; and in less than three minutes she
was ready to go skating. She set out briskly across the common, and
found Wiggins waiting for her at his father's garden-gate. He joined
her in a fine enthusiasm for the ice and talked of the certainty of its
bearing with the most hopeful confidence. She displayed an equal
confidence; and they took their brisk way across the white meadows.
More than usual Wiggins spurned the earth and advanced by leaps and
bounds. His blue eyes were shining very brightly in the cold winter
sunlight.

In ten minute