“Sir, I did nothing at all; Dr. Asbury is resolved to make a heroine of me, that is all.  You owe me nothing.”

At this moment the coachman limped into the room, with garments dabbled with mud, and inquired anxiously whether the young ladies were hurt.

“No, you son of Pluto; not hurt at all, thanks to your careful driving,” answered the doctor, putting his hands in his pockets and eying the discomfited coachman humorously.

“Were you hurt by your fall?” asked Beulah.

“Considerable bumped and thumped, but not much hurt, thank you, miss.  I was awfully scared when I rose out of that choking gutter, and saw you standing up, and the horses flying like ole Satan himself was after them.  I am marvelous glad nothing was hurt.  And now, master, sir, I want you to go to the mayor and have this ’ere firecracker business stopped.  A parcel of rascally boys set a match to a whole pack and flung ’em right under Andrew Jackson’s feet!  Of course I couldn’t manage him after that.  I ’clare to gracious! it’s a sin and a shame the way the boys in this town do carry on Christmas times and, indeed, every other time!” Wilson hobbled out, grumbling audibly.

“Beulah, you must come and spend Christmas at my house.  The girls and my wife were talking about it to-day, and concluded to send the carriage for you early in the morning.”  The doctor drew on his gloves as he spoke.

“They may spare themselves the trouble, sir; she spends it with me,” answered Cornelia.

“With you!  After such a frolic as you two indulged in this evening, you ought not to be trusted together.  If I had not been so anxious about you I could have laughed heartily at the doleful countenances of those two young gents, as they picked themselves up out of the mud.  Such rueful plight as their lemon-colored gloves were in!  I will send Hartwell to see you to-morrow, Cornelia.  A merry Christmas to you all, in spite of your Mazeppa episode.”  His good-humored countenance vanished.

“There comes Antoinette ejaculating up the steps.  Father, tell her I do not want to see her, or anybody else.  Don’t let her come in here!” cried Cornelia, with a nervous start, as voices were heard in the passage.

Mr. Graham, who felt a certain awe of his willful child, notwithstanding his equable temper, immediately withdrew.  His wife hastened into the room, and, with trembling lips touched her daughter’s cheek and brow, exclaiming: 

“Oh, my child, what a narrow escape!  It is horrible to think of—­ horrible!”

“Not at all, mother, seeing that nothing was hurt in the least.  I was sick, any way, as I told you.  Don’t you see Beulah sitting there?”

Mrs. Graham welcomed her guest cordially.

“You have a great deal of presence of mind, I believe, Miss Beulah?  You are fortunate.”

“I thanked my stars that Antoinette was not in the carriage; for most certainly she would have made matters worse, by screaming like an idiot and jumping out.  Beulah taught me common sense,” answered Cornelia, unclasping a bracelet and tossing a handful of jewelry across the room to her dressing table.