d help to amuse Frances and Eugene. We shall be having our
children's feasts, and they could be very useful.'

'I _should_ like that!' said Frances eagerly.

So all seemed satisfactory, and Miss Mildmay left them, to write her
answer to Lady Myrtle. Human nature is very inconsistent. The maiden
lady of a certain age could not repress a sigh as she sat down at her
desk: she had not realised till now that all was changed; how she had
been looking forward to something like an orthodox Christmas for once,
in her prim old house--how she had been planning about the plum-puddings
and cakes, even while groaning a little over the reversal of her usual
habits!

'But it is much better as it is,' she decided. 'They will be quite
happy, and poor old Lady Myrtle will be less lonely than for many years.
She may be a good friend to Eugenia and the children in the future. And
as for me, I don't know how they would have managed without me at St
Blaise's, after all.'

And the young Mildmays--Frances included--_were_ very happy at Robin
Redbreast.

Things settled themselves very much as Jacinth had foreseen. Under
Phebe's care the two younger ones were left free to run about as they
chose during such parts of the day as Jacinth found that their hostess
liked to have her with herself. And the children were much more
accustomed to this sort of life than if they had ever known thorough
home care. For even at Stannesley Mrs Denison's age and fragile health
had often made it impossible for them to be with her as much as she
would have liked: they had early learned to be 'very good at amusing
themselves.'

On Christmas Day the large landau, quite roomy enough for half a dozen
instead of four, took them all to Elvedon church, where they sat with
Lady Myrtle in the square, be-curtained pew--one of those appropriated
to the Court, which was kept for the lady from Robin Redbreast.

'It felt very like Stannesley,' was the verdict of the two younger ones,
who had not been at Elvedon before, which seemed to please Lady Myrtle.

'Yes,' she said. 'I think you will feel more at home than if you spent
the day at Thetford.'

And the prettily decorated rooms, and the old folk who came in for
dinner in the servants' hall, and the roast turkey and flaming
plum-pudding and snapdragon afterwards--yes, though they were only such
a very small party, just they three and the old lady instead of their
own granny, and no Uncle Marmy to make his jokes--still