smiling.
"Nonsense! I--i--t ca--n't--be--done!--Why, we must set off to-morrow!
They've had no warning!"

"What warning does mamma require, Charles?" inquired his sister,
eagerly. "Isn't the dear old place always in apple-pie order?"

"How you love the 'dear old place,' Kate!" exclaimed Mr. Aubrey, in such
an affectionate tone as brought his sister in an instant to his side, to
urge on her suit; and there stood the lord of Yatton embraced by these
two beautiful women, his own heart (_inter nos_) seconding every word
they uttered.

"How my mother would stare!" said he at length, irresolutely, looking
from one to the other, and smiling at their eagerness.

"What a bustle everything will be in!" exclaimed Kate. "I fancy I'm
there already! The great blazing fires--the holly and mistletoe. We must
all go, Charles--children and all!"

"Why, really, I hardly know"---- said Mr. Aubrey, hesitatingly.

"Oh! _I've_ settled it all," quoth Kate, seeing that she had gained her
point, and resolved to press her advantage, "and, what's more, we've no
time to lose; this is Tuesday,--Christmas-day is Saturday--we must of
course stop a night on the way; but hadn't we better have Griffiths in,
to arrange all?" Mr. Aubrey laughed--and--rang the bell.

"Request Mr. Griffiths to come to me," said he to the servant who
answered the summons.

Within a very few minutes that respectable functionary had made his
appearance and received his instructions. The march to Shropshire was
countermanded--and hey! for Yatton!--for which they were to start the
next day about noon. Mr. Griffiths' first step was to pack off Sam, Mr.
Aubrey's groom, by the Tally-ho, the first coach to York, starting at
two o'clock that very day, with letters announcing the immediate arrival
of the family. These orders were received by Sam, (who had been born and
bred at Yatton,) while he was bestowing, with vehement sibilation, his
customary civilities on a favorite mare of his master's. Down dropped
his currycomb; he jumped into the air; snapped his fingers; then he
threw his arms round Jenny, and tickled her under the chin. "Dang it,"
said he, as he threw her another feed of oats, "I wish thee were going
wi' me--dang'd if I don't!" Then he hastily made himself "a _bit_ tidy;"
presented himself very respectfully before Mr. Griffiths, to receive the
wherewithal to pay his fare; and having obtained it, off he scampered to
the Bull and Mouth, as if it had been a neck-and