And Society ceased to wear Humming-birds in its Hats--this was perhaps Ginger’s greatest triumph. It was a stiff battle. After heavy nights of repudiation she would come back to the Weatherhouse such a rag, that even her devoted little follower couldn’t have sold her at a penny a pound. But she won at last. She had two strong posters on the subject; one denying strenuously that feathers were old-fashioned, the other ridiculing the suggestion that a strip of gaily-embroidered house flannel, frayed and fringed, was Millinery’s _Dernier Cri_. It attracted the attention of LOUISE, who immediately exhibited a model on these lines in her windows. The Duchesses fell to it, and the Humming-Birds were saved. As I said, Gypsy and Ginger allowed their friends to follow their own fancies. WHAT MISINFORMED PERSON HAS BEEN SPREADING THE REPORT THAT SHRIMPS AND LOBSTERS ARE TO CHANGE PRICES EVERY OTHER DAY ran Rags’ best effort (Ginger helped him with the spelling). A FALSE WHISPER HAS GOT ABROAD THAT THE BENCHES AS WELL AS THE WICKET-KEEPERS IN LORD’S CRICKET GROUND ARE TO BE PADDED THIS SEASON (This was the Taxi-Man’s.) WE HAVE IT ON THE VERY BEST AUTHORITY THAT OLIVE AND MYRTLE TREES WILL NOT BE PLANTED FROM END TO END OF THE CITY ROAD (Tonio.) THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SKY-ROCKETS ARE TO BE LET OFF EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT ON STREATHAM COMMON CAN OBVIOUSLY ONLY BE REGARDED AS A PRACTICAL JOKE (The Balloon Woman.) WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? (asked the Pavement Artist--) WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FABULOUS ASSERTION THAT THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WILL PERFORM DURING THE LUNCHEON HOUR AT SAM ISAAC’S FISH-SHOPS? One after another these seeds bore fruit--and as many other seeds, all bearing on the comfort or the gaiety of the Metropolis. It was the Punch-and-Judy Man who, affected by the weariness of the City Clerks waiting an hour in queue to book their tickets in the Tubes, induced Madame Clara Butt, Sir Harry Lauder, and Mdlle. Adeline Genée, to attend the principal stations at going-home time, and relieve the tedium with song and dance. It only wanted suggesting to these kind-hearted artists that nobody expected such a thing of them. They responded at once. It was a still greater surprise when Sir Joseph Lyons, after Jeremy’s emphatic assertion to the contrary, opened a Free-Penny-Bun-Shop on the Embankment for children under twelve with an income of less than Twopence a Week. London was becoming a really beautiful place to live in. [Illustration: GYPSY AND GINGER’S FRIENDS 10: THE POLICEMAN]