er feelings of an inexperienced though not
youthful spinster in a short bicycling skirt. Decidedly, the picture was
not flattering to Rachel.

CHAPTER XVII

"On s'ennuie presque toujours avec ceux qu'on ennuie."

Hester did not fail a second time to warn the Gresleys of the arrival of
guests. She mentioned it in time to allow of the making of cakes, and
Mr. Gresley graciously signified his intention of returning early from
his parochial rounds on the afternoon when Dick and Rachel were
expected, while Mrs. Gresley announced that the occasion was a
propitious one for inviting the Pratts to tea.

"Miss West will like to meet them," she remarked to Hester, whose jaw
dropped at the name of Pratt. "And it is very likely if they take a
fancy to her they will ask her to stay at the Towers while she is in the
neighborhood. If the captain is at home I will ask him to come too. The
Pratts are always so pleasant and hospitable."

Hester was momentarily disconcerted at the magnitude of the social
effort which Rachel's coming seemed to entail. But for once she had the
presence of mind not to show her dismay, and she helped Mrs. Gresley to
change the crewel-work antimacassars, with their washed-out kittens
swinging and playing leap-frog, for the best tussore-silk ones.

The afternoon was still young when all the preparations had been
completed, and Mrs. Gresley went up-stairs to change her gown, while
Hester took charge of the children, as Fraeulein had many days previously
arranged to make music with Dr. and Miss Brown on this particular
afternoon. And very good music it was which proceeded out of the open
windows of the doctor's red brick house opposite Abel's cottage. Hester
could just hear it from the bottom of the garden near the church-yard
wall, and there she took the children, and under the sycamore, with a
bench round it, the dolls had a tea-party. Hester had provided herself
with a lump of sugar and a biscuit, and out of these many dishes were
made, and were arranged on a clean pocket-handkerchief spread on the
grass. Regie carried out his directions as butler with solemn
exactitude; and though Mary, who had inherited the paternal sense of
humor, thought fit to tweak the handkerchief and upset everything, she
found the witticism so coldly received by "Auntie Hester," although she
explained that father always did it, that she at once suited herself to
her company, and helped to repair the disaster.

It w