here is
something we might have liked better--pardon, it is no disfavor to the
pretty presents, not at all--it is what you would like, too, I am
sure--it is a message from Nina. Yes, I expected it a little--I was
awake hour after hour this morning--when the postman came I ran down the
stairs--no! no word of any kind."

He stood silent for a minute.

"I confess I had some kind of fancy she might wish to send you just a
line or a card--any sort of reminder of her existence--on
Christmas-day; for she knows the English custom," he said, rather
absently. "And there is nothing--nothing of any kind, you say. Well, I
have written to Pandiani."

"Ah, the _maestro_?--yes?"

"You see, I knew it was no use writing to her friends," he continued,
"for, if she were with them, she would tell them not to answer. But it
is different with Pandiani. If she has got any musical engagement in
Naples, or if she has gone to Malta, he would know. It seems hard that
at Christmas-time we should be unable to send a message to Nina."

"Perhaps she is sure that we think of her," Estelle said, rather sadly.
"I did not know till she was gone that I loved her so much and would
miss her so much; because sometimes--sometimes she reproved me--and we
had little disagreements--but all the same she was so kind--and always
it was for your opinion I was corrected--it was what you would think if
I did this or that. Ah, well, Nina will take her own time before she
allows us to know. Perhaps she is not very happy."

Nor had Mrs. Grey any more helpful counsel or conjecture to offer; so,
rather downheartedly, he got into the hansom again and set out for
Victoria station, where he was to meet Maurice Mangan.

Maurice he found in charge of a bewildering number of variously sized
packages, which seemed to cause him some anxiety, for there was no sort
of proper cohesion among them.

"Toys for Francie's children, I'll bet," said Lionel.

"Well, how otherwise could I show my gratitude?" Mangan said. "You know
it's awfully good of your people, Linn, to ask a poor, solitary devil
like me to join their Christmas family party. It's almost too much--"

"I should think they were precious glad to get you!" Lionel made answer,
as he and his friend took their seats in one of the carriages.

"And I've got a little present for Miss Francie herself," continued
Mangan, opening his bag, and taking therefrom a small packet. He
carefully undid the tissue-paper wrappers, unti