so? You will let me go, won't you?"

[Illustration: HUGGING A LARGE PIECE OF HOLLY IN HER ARMS.]

"Most certainly not; it is much too late in the afternoon for you to
be going down there. It is getting quite dark, and as to one of my
cattle being disposed of in that way, I should not dream of allowing it
for one moment."

Milly's eyes filled with tears, which she vainly tried to restrain. When
her uncle spoke to her in that tone she knew it was useless to
remonstrate.

"They'll be having the feast without me," she said, with a little sob in
her voice. "Mrs. Maxwell promised me I should be there when they had it,
and I'm longing to see Tommy."

"Then if Mrs. Maxwell promised you that, she will put off her feast till
to-morrow," said Sir Edward in a softer tone. "And now be a sensible
little woman, and wait patiently till the time comes. You may be sure
his parents will like to have him to themselves the first night. Run
away now; I don't want to be disturbed."

Poor little Milly crept out of the room feeling very crestfallen, and a
short time after was lying on the hearth-rug before the nursery fire,
her arms wound round Fritz's neck, confiding to him the whole story, and
comforting herself by conjecturing how and where the meeting had taken
place. Her little mind was so full of the subject that it was long
before nurse could get her to sleep that night. Her last words before
she dropped off were,--