When the album was at last complete, VA regarded their joint effort with satisfaction. It was quite a fat substantial book, written in their best and clearest script, and illustrated with photographs, sketches, and prints. They had recorded the city's history, and its various ancient customs and old legends; there was a chapter of nature notes, mentioning how an otter had been seen in the lake of the public park, and a hare had actually been caught running in the High Street. The list of flowers, taken from Mr. Broughten's reports, was carefully copied. "We've done our best over it," said Aldora, "and we can't do more. If the judges don't give it a prize I'll never forgive them. No, not though one of them is your own uncle, Lizzie Logan. I'll--I'll lie in wait for him on his way home and _shoot_ him. There!" "Pull yourself together, Aldora, my child," murmured Calla. "It mayn't turn out as bad as that." "Well I do _not_ want the Sixth to score this time." "I saw their book and they won't," chuckled Kathleen. "There are other schools going in for the competition though," added Carrie dolefully. "But three prizes are offered." The scrap album was packed up at last in a big parcel, and left at the house of one of the judges. Three weeks passed by, and VA languished for news. They began to be afraid that they should not know the result before the holidays. One day, however, Lizzie Logan came to school with a look of most unwonted excitement on her usually stolid face. Her voice, which was generally a scared whisper, was actually audible over half the cloakroom as she announced: "My uncle told me last night that we've won the first prize." Such a chorus of jubilee instantly arose that Lizzie's utterances were drowned. Those in her immediate vicinity dragged forth details of information and proclaimed them for the benefit of the others. "A committee of six, including the Lady Mayoress, sat on the books." "_Sat_ on them! Oh, horrors!" "And the Lady Mayoress is so fat!" "Don't be utter idiots. Committees always sit on things. No! No! _Can't_ you get it into your stupid heads? Not really _sit_. It's just an expression." "Hold me up. I thought our champion book was squashed as flat as a pancake." "Well, it isn't. It's first-prize winner, and the second and third prizes have been won by 'Redlands' and 'The College'." "And where do the Sixth come in?" "They're out altogether." "Oh! What a spiffing score for VA." The prize awarded for the successful scrap album was a pretty little clock, with an inscription recording the event and the date. It was placed upon the mantel-piece in the form room, and regarded with great pride and satisfaction by its owners. "So nice to have a clock in the room," rejoiced Carrie. "It helps you on if you can keep looking at it during lessons." "We might even set it to go a little fast," suggested Ermie hopefully.