ea; and she wants it so badly that she won't walk
that side of the street when we go into the town. But it costs five
shillings!'

Then we set to work seriously, and devoted the afternoon to a
realisation of assets and the composition of a Budget that might have
been dated without shame from Whitehall. The result worked out as
follows:--

_s._ _d._

By one uncle, unspent through having
been lost for nearly a week--turned
up at last in the straw of the dog-kennel 2 6

By advance from me on security of next uncle,
and failing that, to be called in at
Christmas 1 0

By shaken out of missionary-box with the
help of a knife-blade. (They were our
own pennies and a forced levy) 0 4

By bet due from Edward, for walking across
the field where Farmer Larkin's bull was,
and Edward bet him twopence he
wouldn't--called in with difficulty 0 2

By advance from Martha, on no security at all,
only you mustn't tell your aunt 1 0
------
Total 5 0

and at last we breathed again.

The rest promised to be easy. Selina had a tea-party at five on the
morrow, with the chipped old wooden tea-things that had served her
successive dolls from babyhood. Harold would slip off directly after
dinner, going alone, so as not to arouse suspicion, as we were not
allowed to go into the town by ourselves. It was nearly two miles to our
small metropolis, but there would be plenty of time for him to go and
return, even laden with the olive-branch neatly packed in shavings.
Besides, he might meet the butcher, who was his friend and would give
him a lift. Then, finally, at five, the rapture of the new tea-service,
descended from the skies; and, retribution made, making-up at last,
without loss of dignity. With the event before us, we thought it a small
thing that twenty-four hours more of alienation and pretended sulks must
be kept up on Harold's part; but Selina, who naturally knew nothing of
the treat in store for her, moped for the rest of the evening, and took
a very heavy heart to bed.

Next day when the hour for action arrived, Harold evaded Olympian
att