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  'VALE LESTON PRIORY,

  '9th December.

  'MY DEAR MISS MERRIFIELD--We are very anxious to make acquaintancewith my brother Bernard's new belongings, since we cannot greet our newsister Phyllis ourselves. We always have a family gathering at Christmasbetween this house and the Vicarage, and we much hope that you and yourbrother will join it. Could you not meet my sister, Mrs. Grinstead, inLondon, and travel down with her on the 23rd? I am sending this noteto her, as I think she has some such proposal to make.--Yours verysincerely,

  'WILMET U. HAREWOOD.'

  The other letter was thus--

  'BROMPTON, 10th December.

  'MY DEAR GILLIAN--It is more natural to call you thus, as you arebecoming a sort of relation--very unwillingly, I dare say--for "in thisstorm I too have lost a brother." However, we will make the best of it,and please don't hate us more than you can help. Since your own home isdispersed for the present, it seems less outrageous to ask you to spenda Christmas Day among new people, and I hope we may make you feel athome with us, and that you will enjoy our beautiful church at ValeLeston. We are so many that we may be less alarming if you take us bydriblets, so perhaps it will be the best way if you will come up to uson the 18th or 19th, and go down with us on the 23rd. You will find noone with us but my nephew--almost son--Gerald Underwood, and my niece,Anna Vanderkist, who will be delighted to make friends with your brotherJasper, who might perhaps meet you here. You must tell me all aboutPhyllis, and what she would like best for her Cingalese home.--Yoursaffectionately,

  GERALDINE GRINSTEAD.

  Thus then affairs shaped themselves. Gillian was to take Fergus toLondon, where Jasper would meet them at the station, and put the littleboy into the train for Coalham, whither his brother Wilfred had precededhim by a day or two.

  Jasper and Gillian would then repair to Brompton for two or three daysbefore going down with Mr. and Mrs. Grinstead to Vale Leston, and theywere to take care to pay their respects to old Mrs. Merrifield, who hadbecome too infirm to spend Christmas at Stokesley.

  What was to happen later was uncertain, whether they were to go toStokesley, or whether Jasper would join his brothers at Coalham, or comedown to Rockstone with his sister for the rest of the holidays. Valettamust remain there, and it did not seem greatly to distress her; andwhereas nothing had been said about children, she was better satisfiedto stay within reach of Kitty and mamma, and the Christmas-trees thatbegan to dawn on the horizon, than to be carried into an unknown regionof 'grown-ups.'

  While Gillian was not only delighted at the prospect of meeting Jasper,her own especial brother, but was heartily glad to make a change, anddefer the entire question of lessons, confessions, and G.F.S. for sixwhole weeks. She might get a more definite answer from her parents,or something might happen to make explanation to her aunt eitherunnecessary or much more easy--and she was safe from discovery. Butexaminations had yet to be passed.

  CHAPTER X. -- AUT CAESAR AUT NIHIL