"I know! But if you think of it, it's a great opportunity. Suppose we do a splendid finishing tableau instead of animated toys? It would make a magnificent wind-up, and would be a surprise for everybody. Think of the amazement of the Starry Circle, when they're expecting us to do a pale copy of their own stunt, to see us posed as a tableau, and everybody clapping the roof off." "It would be rather sporty." "Only I did so want to dress up as a kangaroo," mourned Joan dolefully. "You shall be Australia instead, and you'll look far nicer. I'll guarantee to make you ever so pretty. It's to be an Anglo-American pageant, to symbolize the school. We'll have Columbia and Britannia and all her colonies, in a sort of _entente cordiale_. You'll see it will please Miss Morley and Miss Rodgers no end. That Starry Circle will be just _aching_ with envy. They'll wish they'd been in it. It will absolutely take the wind out of their sails and lay them flat." "Peachy Proctor, there's a spice of genius in your composition," said Jess admiringly. "I could never have thought of that myself." "Oh, fiddlesticks! Glad you approve though. Now what we've got to do is to hustle up and get busy over costumes. They'll take some contriving. Hide all your best things away from the Stars, or they'll be commandeering them. Mabel has no conscience. And be careful that not the least teeny-weeny hint leaks out. Let's talk openly about the toy-shop, and pretend we're still going on practicing for it. It will be all the bigger sell for them when they find out." The Camellia Buds, having undertaken to paint six program covers, nobly did their duty and finished them in the prescribed time. Lorna offered to take them to Rachel's room, and met with quite a gracious reception from the head girl. So much so that she ventured to put forward a suggestion of her own. "May Part I of the Transition stunt have a time limit?" she asked. "We want to have some idea when we're to come on." "Certainly," agreed Rachel. "We can't let Part I go on _ad infinitum_. I hadn't thought of that. I shall tell Bertha she may have ten minutes and no longer. I shall ring the curtain bell if she exceeds. I see your point entirely. It's only fair." "I was afraid if it was getting near tea-time the audience mightn't want to stay." "Exactly. I'll take care your stunt isn't crowded out. Trust that to me. I'm not head girl here for nothing. And I'm not entirely blind either. My advice is to look after yourselves."