Nell Dawson arrived at that moment with a message that if the performers had changed their costumes Miss Pratt would like a word with them. "You see!" said Lesbia dolefully, bracing her nerves for the rebuke which, as chief offender, would probably descend most heavily upon her own head. They were quite mistaken, however, about Miss Pratt's attitude. She highly commended the little performance. "As an impromptu business it was really very good," she conceded. "It's shown me what you're capable of, and I'm certainly going to put all four of you in my 'Company'." "We--we didn't know you were listening," faltered Lesbia apologetically. "So I supposed" (a flicker of a smile crossed her face); "it's always best to live your part and forget your audience. Come to me to-morrow before nine and I'll give you your books. I hadn't fixed up the cast of _The Duchess's Dilemma_." Four delighted girls scuttled off to the cloakroom, almost overwhelmed by the suddenness of their good fortune. "She should!" exclaimed Aldora. "It's too topping for words," yodelled Cissie. "Shouldn't have thought Miss Pratt capable of being so sporting," rejoiced Marion. "She's a griffin sometimes but she's a mascot to-day, bless her," murmured Lesbia. "I wonder, if after all, she rather _liked_ the idea of school mistresses having hearts? If she ever stays away from school with a bad cold or any other excuse I shall think she's taken the tip." CHAPTER IX Girls of VA The Easter term wended its way along with many ups and downs for Lesbia. Her struggles with the unruly juniors constituted a genuine trial, but there were compensations in what Marion called "the by-products of the school", by which she meant the Dramatic Society and the various activities on the afternoons devoted to "self-expression". Lesbia had finished the decoration of VA. Her lotus pattern really looked extremely nice round the walls and gave the room an appearance of quite superior culture. She had taken up chip-carving, and under the superintendence of Miss Joyce, who held a weekly class in the studio, was carving a frame to hold an old print of Kingfield Main Street as it appeared before the High School established its quarters there. There was great rivalry between the various forms in the decoration of their rooms. The Sixth had several beautiful pictures, and moreover sported a silver cup on their mantelpiece, a trophy which had been won six years ago, in an open tennis tournament, by Gladys Hellier and Joan Mayfield, the then champions of the High School. On the possession of this cup the Sixth were considered quite unduly to give themselves airs. "It isn't as if any of them had actually won it with their own rackets," objected Calla. "Yet they go cock-a-doodling about that wretched cup as if each of them separately had been champion." "A very reflected kind of glory _I_ call it," agreed Bernadine.