remind each other of nobody knew what they had done last or what they should do next the principle on which the ball had been arranged was this the forty five who had agreed to bear the expense which it was would not exceed � s apiece were supplied each with five tickets to be distributed among their friends by muslin to sa ve money the supper had been provided by the and and day after day the rich smells of roast beef and the salt of boiling along the passages and ascended through the of the in grove and manly park fifty chickens had been killed presents of and were received from all sides salmon had arrived from way cases of champagne from as a wit said has prepared a banquet and is calling us in after much hesitation a grammar built by an landlord for an population that had declined to support it was selected as the most suitable for the it lay about a mile from the town and this was in itself an advantage to the of the rooms may and diligently applied themselves away they went every morning the carriage filled with yards of red cloth branches of oak and flags and chinese you see them mounted on a high ladder may and the maid striving to hand him a long which is to be hung between the windows you see them leaning over the counter of a shop explaining how and pieces of tin are to be provided with places for candles the illumination ot the room had remained an problem until ingenious had hit upon this plan you see them running up the narrow losing themselves in the passages calling for the housekeeper you see them trying to decide which is the gentlemen s which the ladies and wondering if they will be able to hire enough furniture by muslin in the town to arrange a sitting room for the as may said we shall have them hanging about our heels the whole evening if we don t try to make them comfortable at last the evening of the ball arrived and as the were striking eight dressed and ready to start knocked at may s door what dressed already said may as she leaned towards the glass illuminated on either side with wax candles and looked into the whiteness of her bosom she wore a costume of blue velvet and silk the entirely of velvet was pointed back and front and a of lace softened the contrast between it and the cream tints of the skin these and the flame coloured hair were the spirits of the shadowy whereas in her white silk her clear candid eyes was the truer whose ancient and inferior stood on her in a forgotten corner oh how nice you look exclaimed may don t think i ever saw anyone look so pure smiled and the smile may said i am afraid you don t think so much of me i am sure may you look very nice indeed and just as you would like to look to may s mind it was not difficult to suggest a new train of thought and she immediately proceeded to explain why she had chosen her present dress i knew that you and olive and violet and lord � � r by muslin knows how many others would be in white and as we shall all have to wear white at the drawing room i thought appear in this but isn t the whole thing delightful i am engaged already for several dances and i have been the step all day with then singing to herself she in front of the glass at the immediate risk of falling into the bath five and forty baked in a pie when the pie was opened the maids began to wasn t that a dainty dish to set before the king oh dear there s my coming down and dropping on to the sofa the girl up the treacherous article of dress and tell me what you think of my legs she said advancing a pair of stately violet says they are too large they seem to me to be all right but may dear you haven t got a on you can t wear with these tight dresses one can t move one s legs as it is but don t you think you ll feel catch cold not a bit of it no danger of cold when you have leather drawers then overcome by her feelings may began to sing five and forty baked in a pie etc five and forty she said breaking off have i wonder how many will be married by this time next year you know i shouldn t care to be married all at once i d want to see the world a bit first even if i liked a man i shouldn t care to marry him now time enough in about three years time when one is beginning to by muslin get tired of and parties i have often wondered what it most be like just fancy waking up and seeing a man s face on the pillow or for no no may i will not you must not i will not listen to these improper conversations v s now don t get angry there s a dear nice girl you re worse than violet my word you are but we must be off it is a good half hour s drive and we shall want to be there before nine the people will begin to come in about that time mrs was asleep in the drawing room and as they awoke her the sound of wheels was heard on the gravel outside the girls into the carriage mrs pulled herself in and blotted out in a far corner thought vaguely of asking may not to dance more than three times with may to 