"That's the man," remarked Ernest.

Many were the trials and failures of Adela, all of which she bore with that patience which formed a portion of her character, and which quite astonished the boys. "She deserves to succeed," said they; "she bears her disappointments with such good humour, and tries so hard." At last she could ascertain to a nicety when the oven was hot enough; she made a variety of cakes to perfection—plum-cakes, tea-cakes, little cakes, large cakes, lump cakes, plain cakes, rich cakes, almond cakes, rusks, with several others, and even gingerbread nuts and cake gingerbread. The materials were procured from the village of Dullbury, and for the eggs and milk she had. only to go to her papa's dairy, for the principal person there also took charge of the fowls.

CHAPTER VII.

INVITATION TO MR. AND MISS MONTRAY.-TEA PARTY.-POTATOE BALLS.ANCIENT SCULPTURE.-KUTTAKIM KICKY.-ERNEST'S CONVERSATION WITH MR. MONTRAY.-PARTY GIVEN TO NEIGHBOURS.-LETTER FROM MR. ELTON.

DISAPPOINTMENT.

AT last the whole party agreed on the subject of inviting Miss Montray, who had just returned home, and the Rector, to tea. The consultation was held on Monday, and the evening was fixed for the following Thursday,

at five. The invitation was given in the name of the three, and dated from Faggot-House; the entertainment was specified as a high tea, at half-past five, and indulgence was requested towards the roughnesses which unavoidably attend the houses of settlers, where, perhaps, the only good thing to be found was a hearty welcome. David was despatched with the note in the evening, as they did not recollect the inconsistency of their sending invitations by a liveried page, while they assumed the character of settlers. The answer was favourable, and Miss Montray and the Rector had no doubt they should find everything of the best at the new settlement of their young and highly-valued friends.

Great were the preparations! Adela made several cakes, which would be good cold; but the tea-cakes were to be hot, and, of course, baked at the time. George thought David might be there to wait, but the others exclaimed, "No, no! that will not be at all like settlers, and we must wait on our company ourselves."

At length the important day arrived. Ernest had that morning attained his fifteenth year, and a whole holyday had been given on the occasion; so there had been plenty of time for preparations. A larger fire than usual was lighted, on one side of which were two covered dishes, kept hot in the embers; and, on the other, were some tender, juicy kabobs. They had procured half a side of bacon from a neighbouring farm-house, and this time the surmounting morsel dropped its tears of fat on the lower pieces. Over the fire was the kettle, hanging on its tri

pod, and the water was just beginning to boil; there was not only milk, but cream, though a large portion of the latter had been abstracted for the supper. The oven was just hot enough to keep up the temperature of the teacakes, which had been buttered when they were baked. A clean white cloth was on the table; the spoons had been rubbed, so as to look quite bright; the knives and forks were polished, and the other utensils were placed at hand, on a rude shelf constructed by the boys; while, at one corner of the house, there was an appropriate space, hidden by boxes, for those which had been used. Good, clear water, fresh from the stream, was kept in a cool place; the little birds, which had been fed so often by the children, twittered on the twigs over their heads; the creepers had recovered the effects of the storm, and were in high beauty; new blossoms of mignionette shed forth their perfume; and Chance, rising and advancing a few yards, offered a grave welcome to the guests, increased to the number of three, by the Rector begging leave to introduce his curate, Mr. Moreton, who had arrived the evening before.

On seeing three approach, Adela had dexterously added the additional cover, and, having put on an apron of the same material as her frock, no one could detect that she was cook and entertainer combined. Many happy returns were wished to Ernest, and enquiries were made. for the dear absentees.

"Of course I heard this morning," said Ernest, "and I am happy to tell you that our dear mother is at last

decidedly getting convalescent; and I could not have had better news on my birth-day."

Mr. and Miss Montray paused for a few moments to consider how well the house was arranged; how little Adela betrayed, by her self-possession, that she received guests for the first time; she took her friends outside to admire the large convolvuli which flourished so well there, and shewed them her seat in the elm-tree, and in the meanwhile Ernest and George had finished all the preparations, and set a beautiful dish of fine gudgeons upon the table, for the commencement of the repast.

"I am very hungry," said the Rector, "for Mary would not give me any dinner, saying that a high tea was even better, and that it was only wasting a meal upon me;" and as two gudgeons were going off the table, he added, "he could not possibly let them go away, they were so nicely cooked; but I believe I must spare one for pussy, who is eyeing me so enviously under the table."

"She always comes when we have fish," said George, "and seems to smell it wherever she may be."

“How does she agree with Chance?" asked Miss Montray. "They are great friends," replied Adela.

"This nice place ought to make every body friends," observed Miss Montray; "and I would recommend old cook to come here often, in order to put a little harmony into her composition. If I had been at home, this would not have been my first visit."

"I am happy to say," said Ernest, "that that old woman has never once been up to the house while we

have been in it, though we see her spying and prowling about at a distance. I believe she waits for an invitation, for which she will, I suspect, have to wait all her life."

At that moment George entered with a smoking dish of kabobs, and some potatoe-balls in another. The plates and knives and forks were changed in a moment, and Mr. Montray exclaimed :—

"Upon my word, sister, you were quite right. I should have been very sorry had I eaten any dinner."

"I never tasted anything so nice in my life," said Mr. Moreton; "what do you call these very good things?" Explanations were given; the entertainers told how they had read about them, and tried by themselves to them to perfection, and that they had adopted the ways of other countries.

"I see a tiny vapour rising out of the ground at a little distance. Is that one of your contrivances?" asked Mr. Montray.

"That is our oven," said Adela, "made Australian fashion, and where we baked our cakes this very day."

"If you do not turn settlers in some new, wild country," resumed Mr. Montray, handing his plate for a second supply of kabobs, "you will be wasted. How did you get into the way of all these things-surely not from books alone ?"

"Yes; we hunted for them through the books of travels which we have been reading; and I am sure we may learn a great deal from those who are called barbarians. The least instruction has been gathered from Africans;