, to be twice as long as usual of closing in.

"All comes, however, to him (or her) who waits," and the blissful moment
at last arrived when Ginevra found herself running upstairs, though not
so fast as the evening before, for fear of dropping the precious parcel
she held in her arms.

"The dear, sweet boy," she said to herself. "I'd have liked to kiss him.
Perhaps we all might when he comes home again."

For Red-Head's last words had been a charge not to forget to let him
know after the holidays if Miss Dolly was approved of.

Ginevra burst into the nursery.

"Princesses," she exclaimed, "shut your eyes, while I unwrap her. I'll
shut mine too. I haven't seen her myself."

"Is it--can it be--the doll?" they all cried, and their hearts nearly
stopped beating with excitement.

"Now," Jinny exclaimed.

They all pressed forward. All six pairs of eyes were fixed on Jinny's
lap, but not a sound was heard. A blank look of disappointment fell over
every face. Red-Head, poor Red-Head had done his best, but oh, what a
mistake! He had bought a _dressed_ doll, and as ten and sixpence, which
was all he had got for the mug, will not go very far in such articles,
it can be imagined that dolly herself, notwithstanding the gorgeousness
of her attire, fell short, lamentably short, of the poor princesses'
expectations.

"She's only china, and her hair's a put-on wig," said Agatha, with tears
in her eyes.

"Her clothes don't even take off and on, and they're not a bit like a
little girl's clothes," said Elspeth.

Ginevra said not a word; her face told of nothing less than despair.

"And poor darling Jinny has sold her mug to buy it with--all to please
us. I found it out, but it was too late to stop it," said Helen. "Jinny
darling, we must like her, we _will_--any way she'll be better than
nothing. We'll make her new clothes, and then perhaps she won't look so
vulgar," whereupon, Helen setting the example, all the five princesses
fell upon Jinny's neck and hugged and kissed her and each other amidst
their tears.

"And we mustn't tell Red-Head," said Jinny; "he'd be _so_ disappointed.
He did his best. I never thought of saying she wasn't to be dressed.
He's going away to-morrow, and of course they wouldn't change the doll
after he comes back. Besides, she _is_ better than nothing, surely?"

Christmas Eve--the six princesses sat on the window-sill looking out on
the fast-falling snow. Dolly--partially denuded of her gorgeous