e about for the _nonce_. Of course
the characters to be assumed were to be kept a secret until they
appeared in the ball room. Edith entered with enthusiasm into all the
arrangements necessary on the occasion, and was materially assisted by
the good taste and judgment of Arthur, to whom she turned for counsel
when at fault as to the grouping of statuary or position of pictures,
and the _toute ensemble_ of the _salle-a-manger_.

The spacious old picture gallery with its Gothic windows of stained
glass was fitted up as the dancing hall. The statuary armour, banners,
and ancient weapons of past generations had been brought from the Hall
and placed in different positions along the oak pannelled walls, while
large bunches of dark green holly with the bright scarlet berries,
peeping out here and there was hung between the antique pictures of
brave Knights and fair Dames, ancestors of the Coleman family, that
seemed to look down from their massive frames upon the fantastic scenes
below. The oaken floor was covered with a cloth, figured to represent a
tesselated pavement. At the upper end a dais had been erected,
surmounted by an antique chair of state, with several others of the same
description, but smaller on each side. The orchestra was in a small
gallery that crossed the hall at the lower end, the whole brilliantly
illuminated by three massive chandeliers, the adjoining apartments were
arranged as refreshment and supper rooms.

The Ball was opened with a triple set of quadrilles. The top set,
nearest to the dais or place of honour, was composed as follows: Sir
Jasper as the fine old English gentleman in doublet and trunk hose, with
Edith, looking very lovely, as the Lady Rowena; their _vis a vis_ being
Julia Barton, in the character of Mary Stuart, attended by Arthur,
dressed as a Light Dragoon of the period. The side couples were, Kate
Cotterell, bewitchingly pretty, in the costume of Rebecca the Jewess,
assisted by Tom Barton as the famous Robin Hood. Emily Barton
represented, with very good effect, Maid Marion, under the escort of
young Snaffle of the Lancers, who rode over from the nearest Garrison
Town to captivate some stray heart by personating Young Lochinvar. The
other two sets, figuring in costumes as handsome as they were varied,
were made up of the youth and beauty of the neighbourhood, with the
exception of the bottom couple of the last set; here, Mrs. Fraudhurst
appeared, gorgeously attired, as Sarah, Duches