Gwen, who had clapped with the rest, did not answer. She too was staring at Mavis and Merle, looking at them as if they were some strange new creatures whom she could not yet comprehend. Apparently they did not fit in with any of her preconceived standards. Meeting Merle's eyes, she turned hastily away. A boarder brought a message that their car was at the door, so, summoning Babbie, she made a hasty exit without bidding good-bye to anybody, even to Opal. On the strength of the very favourable reception accorded to their first venture in the line of drama, Mavis and Merle held a long private confabulation, and decided to try and start a society to stir up the school. "They've nothing," said Mavis, "absolutely nothing! And I see possibilities of _such_ fun! We ought to get up sing-songs and plays, and ten dozen other things. I call it an opportunity." "Yes, if Opal doesn't butt in and turn everything upside down. We shall have her to reckon with I expect." "Oh, bother Opal! She's not the only girl in the school." "No, but she thinks she is." "Give her a decent part and she'll like it as much as anybody." "She's not going to be top-dog all along the line, though." "Well, we can't leave her out of it. I suppose she'll have her turn just the same as other people, and we'll leave it at that." Next day, therefore, the Ramsays went to school bristling with ideas, and, calling a mass meeting in the playroom, made their proposals. The girls, who were ready for anything in the way of variety, accepted the innovations with alacrity, and in the course of the quarter of an hour allotted to lunch they formed a society, the object of which was, as Mavis expressed it, "to stir things up a little and have acting and sing-songs and any other fun that comes along". They fixed Wednesday afternoon from 4 o'clock to 4.30 for their first meeting. "Miss Pollard won't mind our staying half an hour after school when she knows what it's for," declared Opal. "We'll have our--what did you call it?--symposium, then, and I dare say she'll give us other times too if we want to rehearse for a play. It would be prime to get up something big for the end of the term, wouldn't it? Who's going to read papers on Wednesday? Hands up those who'll volunteer?" "Not much time to write anything before then," grumbled Nesta. "It needn't be original unless you like," put in Mavis. "For this first time you may recite some poetry if you want. It's just to get us all together and make a start." "Are those kids going to be in it?" objected Muriel, with a baneful eye on the juniors. "There's no harm in their coming to listen. It's really more fun if there's an audience. In a thing like this it's a case of 'the more the merrier'. I vote the whole school turns up on Wednesday at four." "Yes, yes! Don't leave us out of it!" squeaked the small fry, in much terror lest they should be excluded from the delightful ceremony. "Will you promise to sit as mum as mice and not interrupt?"