le fairy, in her soft, airy
garments, waved him a tiny kiss as she vanished from the room and
hurried to her own pretty apartment.

Dick, with his well-filled pockets, retired also; the servants
entering, closed the shutters and put out the lights; the feeble fire
flickered for a little, then died slowly, and deep, unbroken slumber
settled over all.

Meanwhile, outside in the quiet night the snow was falling softly,
silently--wrapping the sleeping earth in a pure, unsullied
winding-sheet, and covering the church steeples with its feathery
flakes. Hush! hush! how silently, yet how quickly, the snow showers
fell. Slowly the hours passed by. Morning stealing in swept back the
clouds of night and darkness, and the sun, peeping through with his
warm, genial ray, shone down with a light which grew brighter and
brighter as the world wakened up and the merry Christmas bells sent
their happy chimes pealing through the frosty air.

CHAPTER X.

GATHERING CLOUDS.

Rough, rumpled hair, two soft eyes drowned in tears, flushed, angry
cheeks and pouting lips, was the picture which met Dick's view one
morning when he entered the oak parlour two days after the eventful
party. Christmas had passed by pleasantly and tranquilly for both
children. They had had the regular Christmas dinner--turkey,
mince-pies, plum-pudding, etc.--and the afternoon and evening had been
filled with youthful pleasure and amusement. Sabbath also was calm and
peaceful, so calm, indeed, that Winnie began to think their fears were
groundless, and Mrs. Blake's annoyance a mere myth; but Dick, more
suspicious, decided it was only the lull before the storm, and on the
Monday he found his suspicions verified. The hurricane burst, and
resulted in a forlorn little maiden bathed in tears, and a boy whose
heart burned within him at the remembrance of cruel words and unjust
accusations.

"I say, Win," he cried, coming forward into the room and leaning his
elbows on the table with careless disregard to elegance of attitude,
"what a miserable object you look! for all the world like a drowned
rat. Can't you dry those weeping eyes and speak to a fellow for a few
minutes? It is dreadful being treated to a regular shower-bath in this
cold weather," and Dick tried to conjure up the faintest glimmer of a
smile to the dolorous countenance.

Winnie wailed: "O Dick, I was so happy; and now everything is wrong.
Mamma says she is very much displeased with me, and