WITH A WINE-GLASS. 7

ously than usual, and pressed close to her
side her bonny basket containing, very neatly |
crimped, various muslin articles. Peggy was
proud of the contents of her basket; and
well she might be;. they were “fot. Up”
ina manner that would not disgrace a Par-
isian clear-starcher! Mary had a roll of
needlework that she was taking home to the
lady to whom the muslins belonged. She
was that rare thing in those days of natural
sewing machines —an excellent needlewo-
man, plying her needle rapidly and neatly.

The women stood almost beneath the shad-
ow of Buckingham Palace, just where the
bars divide St. James’ Park from the broad |
trottow. Seated on the curb-stone, her bare
feet nearly embedded in the brown mud of
the highway, for a heavy autumn shower had
just fallen — was a dark-haired, weird-looking
girl about fourteen, bearing .a ‘small flat
_ basket of walnuts beside her; she was’ crack-

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