Dirk had joined Beth and her guests and Beth had suggested and directed a new play. Liebchen and Annunciata did not understand it, but it necessitated dressing up so it did not matter why they had to do this always agreeable thing. Dirk did not enter far into Beth’s enthusiasm for the game, but, as he said, he “made a stagger at playing it,” and Beth’s imagination did not need much fuel to feed its flames. “I shall be Mary, Queen of Scots,” she elucidated. “You will be the faithful Douglas, Dirk, who adores her and tries to make her life in prison less miserable. Liebchen and Annunciata must be the four Maries--I mean two of the queen’s Maries. They were her ladies in waiting, you know.” “Switched if I do!” declared Dirk. “Where do you get all this stuff, Beth? History?” “Well, not plain history,” admitted Beth. “I just love the Border Ballads and all those things. And ‘The Abbot,’ you know, one of the Waverley novels, is all about Queen Mary; I’ve read it and read it! I play I’m Mary Queen of Scots half the time at home. Janie can’t stand the Waverley novels; I looked over some I don’t care about, either. But ‘The Abbot’ and ‘Kenilworth’ and ‘Ivanhoe’ and ‘The Talisman’--goodness, Dirk, I should think you’d love them! I like ‘Guy Mannering,’ too. Janie plays I’m Mary Stuart at Lochleven Castle pretty nicely, though. I’ve just _made_ her listen to the best parts of ‘The Abbot,’ so she could. She has to be Catharine Seyton, of course. When she puts her arm through the bolt place to fasten the door--oh! Well, we must play now. I’ll tell you what to say and do. You don’t have to dress up much----” “I’m not going to dress up at all.” Dirk decided that at once. “I suppose your suit would answer,” said Beth doubtfully; she recognized Dirk’s determination and that she should lose his support unless she compromised. “Knickerbockers and a jacket are something like trunks and a doublet. All right; you stay as you are. But Liebchen and Annunciata must have long trained skirts and head-dresses and some jewels; not many, because the queen could not give them much when she was in misfortune. You wait here, Dirk, and I’ll take them to my room to fix up. Aunt Alida gave me perfectly magnificent robes of state to dress up in, old silk dresses of hers. We’ll be back soon.” Beth hurried her two attendants away before her and presently they all returned, splendid to behold in their finery.