we'll wear them even if they've got raw edges and are
fastened together with pins. I don't suppose the audience will be near
enough to see the stitches. I hope not, at any rate. Mine are absolute
cats' cradles."

By the day of the festival, however, the Camellia Buds were exactly
ready. They had kept their secret strictly, and flattered themselves
that their rivals the Stars were in complete ignorance of their change
of program. The acting was to be in the gymnasium, not in the garden,
for a sirocco wind was blowing and the overcast sky promised rain. It
was a pity, for the pergola would have made such a beautiful background,
and some enthusiasts even petitioned Miss Morley to keep to her original
plan.

"And have you all wet through, and the guests shivering with cold?" she
replied. "No, indeed! Be thankful we have such a large room as the gym
to act in. Otherwise the fete would have been put off altogether."

The girls were allowed, however, to decorate the platform with flowers,
and to hang up Chinese lanterns so as to give a festive appearance to
the scene. The performers donned their costumes in good time, but wore
waterproofs over them to conceal them. They wished to witness each
other's stunts, yet did not want to reveal their own secrets too soon.
There was quite a good audience assembled in the gymnasium. Miss Rodgers
and Miss Morley had sent out many invitations, and some parents and
friends had come over from Naples to combine a peep at the celebrated
Fossato festival with a visit to the school. Irene's cup of joy was full
when, to her utter amazement, she saw her own father, mother, and
brother walk into the room.

"Well! You _are_ a surprise package," she exclaimed, greeting them
gleefully. "Why didn't you write and tell me you were coming?"

"We didn't know ourselves," said Vincent. "We never thought we could
manage to get off, and we didn't want to disappoint you. When does your
stunt come on?"

"Not till the end, so I can sit with you most of the time. Oh! It's
simply too good to have you all turn up like this. Mother darling,
there's a chair for you here, and I'll be in the middle between you and
Daddy."

The entertainment began with a fairy play acted by the juniors. They
looked very pretty in their gauzy garments, and little Desiree, in a
gossamer robe of elfin green, made an attractive queen, so dainty and
ethereal that the audience almost expected to see through her. "What a
sweet child!" w