"Half a crown," replied a chorus of voices. "I've been at Briarcroft such a short time," demurred Leonora. "Perhaps it would really be better if the present came from you, who are all old pupils." "There's something in that," said Dilys. "Both you and Gipsy Latimer have only been here a little while, so it would be more appropriate, after all, to leave you both out of it, and let it be an old girls' gift. Lennie, do you hear? You're not to put down either Gipsy or Leonora, however much they beg and pray." "Right-oh!" said Lennie rather sulkily. She thought that Dilys, in her delicacy for Gipsy, was sparing Leonora too much. But Dilys gave her a withering look, which so plainly implied: "Trust me to mind my own business" that she began hastily to hum a tune. "Perhaps you'd like to give Miss Edith something on your own account," suggested Dilys craftily to the millionairess. "Exactly. It would be far better than my joining with the rest of you," agreed Leonora, jumping at such an easy way out. "Tell me what it's to be, then, and we'll ask Miss Lindsay to order it." "Oh! I can get it myself, thanks." "We're not allowed. All shopping has to be done through Miss Lindsay. I should suggest a book." "I dare say that would do. There was one of yours that Miss Edith was looking at yesterday." "Do you mean my small 'Christina Rossetti'? All right. Lennie, put down that Leonora Parker wants to order a copy of Christina Rossetti's poems." Thus cornered, Leonora was obliged to consent. Dilys's little book was a shilling edition--not ruinous, certainly, to the purse strings; so comparing that with a subscription of half a crown she considered she had escaped cheaply. "You've let her off too easily," grumbled Lennie afterwards, as she added up her list. "It's a shame the richest girl in the class should give the least." "I haven't finished with her yet, my friend--I've only begun!" chuckled Dilys. "Let me go to Miss Lindsay." Dilys had a deep-laid scheme, which she considered too good to be divulged at present, but which she hoped would be the undoing of Leonora. She went to the mistresses' room with the subscription list, and handed the collection of half-crowns to Miss Lindsay. "Would you please order a Russia leather blotter for Miss Edith?" she said. "We've decided on that, unless you know of anything she'd like better. Leonora Parker would like to give her a separate present, quite on her own account." "Indeed?" said Miss Lindsay, who had not yet grasped the new pupil's economical tendencies. "Then I suppose she wishes it to be something handsome?" "She mentioned a copy of Christina Rossetti's poems, but she said nothing about the price," returned Dilys stolidly.