"Nell and Charlie are not laughing," replied Alice slowly.

"Are they not? Then I shall not laugh. Try again, Alice," said Harry with a solemn face.

Try again Alice did, and failed, and again a merry peal of laughter came from the spot where Harry was standing.

"You said you would not, and you did. You said to-day 'a promise was a promise,' and yet you have broken yours," said Alice, throwing off her skates.

Harry was on the point of telling Alice how sorry he was, when she, reverting to his having broken his promise, made him so angry that he turned away, determined not to speak to her.

"A soft answer." Ah, yes! now was the time to say something. Alice felt she could not, but while she was thinking about it, she began putting on her skates, and when they were on, she felt she could; so, tumbling and getting up again, she found her way across the ice to where Harry was standing, and said, "Will you help me? They are on again," pointing to her skates.

"To be sure I will, Alice. laugh, but I could not help it.

I did not intend to

I will not let you

fall again, or if we do we shall fall together," added Harry laughing.

Mr L'Estrange came down at three o'clock, and found a merry, happy party waiting to go to the lake with him, and, as afterwards this merry party returned home, Harry thought, "How is it possible the matches I have so often watched blazing, will not even light when I tread on them." And he determined to solve the mystery before he left Studbury Park.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE MOTTO CONQUERS.

"She hath asked to be made holy,
So she must strive each day
To yield her will to Jesus' will,
To walk in Jesus' way."

HE time was passing pleasantly at Studbury Park, some days so wet and dreary,

that books, games, and indoor amusements were in great request-others again so bright and beautiful, that the young pleasureseekers could skate, walk, or drive. Despite occasional clouds, the cousins' visit was being a happy one, a quiet one too, partly on account of Mrs L'Estrange's health, and because since little. Leonard's death, Alice had had no regular Christmas party. Mrs L'Estrange knew she was not depriving Nell and Harry, for when they were in London they had so many young friends that they had quite enough juvenile parties, and what they

now enjoyed was the freedom of the country, indeed each day seemed to bring some new pleasure

or amusement.

The whole party was now eagerly discussing how they should spend the afternoon of a beautiful day, and entreating for a picnic to an old castle in the neighbourhood, when Mr L'Estrange, hearing the conversation, said—

"Well, Alice, that certainly is one of your imaginative schemes, a picnic in winter, and the ground white with frost. You must be thinking that you are in fairyland, and dreaming that January will suddenly be turned into the leafy month of June. No, no, Alice, you and Nell must wait till the summer holidays come."

"O papa! it is not so very cold; when Cæsar came from running about the lawn, he was quite warm, and Phillips said the roads were fit for us to ride," urged Alice.

"Indeed, Alice, because the cold does not penetrate Cæsar's woolly coat, and the roads are not covered with ice, you are all to go off to an old castle destitute of windows and doors. But I will tell you what you may do. Your mamma and I I will take Nell and Charlie for a drive in the carriage, if you and Harry like to go for a ride,

and then next day you can let Nell and Charlie have the ponies, and you two can remain at home. A riding and a driving party, will you be satisfied with this arrangement?" asked Mr L'Estrange.

"Oh, yes! will not that be delightful?" they all exclaimed; and as the ponies were to start first, Alice went to get ready.

"Nurse, I am going for a ride, a long ride, for two whole hours," said Alice, as she entered the nursery.

"Well then, Miss Alice, I hope you will keep to the even roads, and not go every wild place Master Harry asks you; he is very very incautious, and many an accident he has met with," said old nurse, shaking her head.

66

Oh, yes! nurse, you need not be afraid," replied Alice laughing, and then she began to think that, being with Harry alone for two whole hours had often, in years past, ended in the matches burning and blazing; what should she do if anything now happened when the holidays were passing so happily, and she and Harry were such friends, without setting each other on fire. As these thoughts passed through Alice's mind, she buttoned her riding habit so slowly that nurse asked her what she was thinking about?