round to the fishmonger's, cook, and
go to the butcher's, and order----"

Hilda rushed to her davenport, scribbled some hasty directions on a
piece of paper, and handed them to the servant.

"You must go this moment," she said, "it is six o'clock now; and please
call at the green-grocer's on your way back, and get a pound of bananas
and some Tangerine oranges. I will see that the wine is all right, and
speak to Susan about the table while you are out. Run, cook, run, at
once--things must look their _very_ best, and be served in the best
possible manner for dinner to-night."

The cook muttered something unintelligible, and by no means too well
pleased with her errand, departed.

Hilda called Susan, and going into the dining room helped her to
decorate the table; then after impressing upon the neat little
parlor-maid the necessity of doing what she could to help cook in this
sudden emergency, she ran upstairs to put on her bonnet and jacket, for
the time had almost arrived when she must start on her journey. She had
just come downstairs when the click of the latch-key was heard, and
Jasper, in excellent spirits, entered the house.

"Well, my love," he said, going up to his wife and kissing her; "oh, you
have been out!--did you get my telegram? I told Rivers we should not
dine until half-past seven, in order to give you plenty of time to
prepare. Perhaps you have been ordering some things for dinner, Hilda;
that is right, and just what I should have expected of you. I am
particularly anxious that Rivers should see that I have got the
sweetest, prettiest, and best little wife and housekeeper in the
world."

For some reason which she could not explain, even to herself, Hilda felt
her tongue tied. She returned her husband's kiss, and when he entered
the tiny dining room she followed him.

"Very nice, very nice," he exclaimed, looking with approval at the
dinner-table, which was charmingly decorated with pink Liberty silk and
white flowers. "But what is this?" he added suddenly, "there are only
two places laid. One for you and one for me. We must ring for Susan at
once--I think Rivers would rather sit at the side, away from the fire."

"I--Jasper, I want to tell you something."

"What is it? how pale you are, darling!"

"I want to tell you something," repeated Hilda; "I--I am not going to
dine with you to-night."

"What do you mean, my dear girl--are you ill? what can be the matter?"

"I am not ill, but Judy is-