The five bedrooms drew lots for the order of their performances, and the honor of "first night" fell to the Blue Grotto. Its occupants (including Carmel, whose dressing-room was considered an annex) held a rejoicing committee to plan out their play. Squatting on Gowan's bed, they each contributed portions of the plot. "Shall we write it out and learn our parts?" asked Lilias. "Certainly not. It would quite spoil it if you were just reeling off speeches by heart, with one ear open to the prompter. I know you! I shall never forget Lilias when we did 'The Vanity Bag.' She said her bits as if she were repeating a lesson, and Bertha----" "Are we to say anything we like, then?" interrupted Carmel, for Gowan's reminiscences were becoming rather too personal for purposes of harmony. "We'll map the whole thing out beforehand, of course, but you must just say what comes into your head at the moment. It will be ever so much fresher and funnier. All you've got to do is to get into the right spirit and play up!" "All serene! As long as no mistresses are sitting looking on, I don't mind." The Blue Grotto, being the first on the list of performances, was determined to do the thing in style. Bertha and Carmel between them evolved a poster. It was painted in sepia on the back of one of Dulcie's school drawings, sacrificed for the purpose. It represented the profile of a rather pert looking young person with a tip-tilted nose and an eye several sizes larger than was consistent with the usual anatomy of the human countenance. Lower down, in somewhat shaky lettering, was set forth the following announcement: [Illustration: Come to the blue Grotto! GRAND DRAMA "THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE" .FEATURING. THE SISTERS INGLETON..........The Cheverley Favourites SIGNORINA CARMEL LESLIE....The famous Sicilian Comedienne MISS GOWAN BARBOUR..............The Daisy of Chilcombe MISS BERTHA CHESTERS...................(Our Bert) Have half an hour of Fun and Pathos It will do you good to laugh and cry SILVER COLLECTION] This they placed temporarily in the passage, but when the girls had giggled over it sufficiently they removed it, for fear its attractions might tempt some of the mistresses into asking permission to attend, a fatality which must at all costs be avoided. The performers spent a hectic day making arrangements. The time allowed in their dormitory was necessarily limited, so preparations were a scramble. The four beds were moved and placed as seats, and one corner of the room was reserved as the stage. Carmel's dressing-room made an excellent "green room," and gave the Blue Grotto a substantial theatrical lift over other dormitories. Ten minutes before the hour, five distracted actresses were struggling to complete their impromptu toilets. "I'm so rocky, I know I shan't be able to say anything at all!" fluttered Dulcie. "Nonsense! Pull yourself together, child!" urged Gowan. "Get some stiffening into you, can't you?"