"Yes; Elspeth and Hilda drew lots, and Hilda won. I'm fearfully sorry she did. Elspeth says it's all your fault, and that you ought to have voted for her when you'd made such a fuss about the clique." "Would you have given a casting vote yourself?" "Well, no; but if you'd only stayed and voted by ballot like everyone else, then nobody would have known who'd given the odd one. It was most stupid of you to rush away. You're rather an idiot, Gwen Gascoyne!" "'_Et tu, Brute!_ Then fall, Caesar!' I'm like the old man and his ass in AEsop; I seem to end by pleasing nobody." "Do you wish to compare yourself with the old man or the quadruped, my child? The latter's the more apt, certainly!" "Oh, good night!" said Gwen, who was getting the worst of it "I wish sometimes I'd never come into your wretched Form." "You'd be far more at home among the Juniors!" snapped Netta, rather out of temper. A few days after this was the Rodenhurst Annual Distribution of Prizes. It was always held in the beginning of November, rather an unusual date, to be sure, but Miss Roscoe found it convenient in many ways to have it in the middle of the autumn term. It gave plenty of time to receive examiners' reports, and to chronicle successes in the July examinations, but on the other hand it did not interfere with Christmas celebrations. The function took place in the Town Hall at Stedburgh, and there was invariably a large gathering of parents and friends. To the whole school it seemed an important occasion, and both Gwen and Lesbia were full of excitement when the afternoon arrived. "Not that I need alarm myself that I shall be called upon to walk up and receive a prize!" said Lesbia. "Never got one in my life, and never shall!" "You might get the Sewing or the Holiday Competitions," said Gwen, trying to be encouraging. "No fear! One genius is enough in a family! I'll go prepared to clap you!" All the girls wore white dresses and blue hair ribbons, and made quite an imposing array as they sat in the central aisle of the large room at the Town Hall. "There seem to be far more of us when we're in white!" said Gwen. "We don't look half so many in the lecture hall at school. Have a few little angels crept in unawares?" "You're not one of them, at any rate," laughed Netta, who was sitting next to her. To Gwen the great feature of the occasion was that Father was seated on the platform, in company with several other clergymen and the Mayor, who was to distribute the prizes. Beatrice was amongst the audience, and had brought Martin with her, and Giles and Basil had come with the Boys' contingent. All her family were present, and if she were to get a prize, how pleased they would be!