cure. Then he took a piece of burnt
cork from his parcel and solemnly drew a fierce and military moustache
upon his cheek and lip. To William no kind of theatricals was complete
without a corked moustache.

Then he took Bettine by the hand and led her out to the Maypole.

The dancers were all waiting holding the ribbons. The audience was
assembled and a murmur of conversation was rising from it. It ceased
abruptly as William and Bettine appeared. William's father, mother and
sister were in the front row. Robert was not there. Robert had
declined to come to anything in which that little wretch was to
perform. He'd jolly well had enough of that little wretch to last his
lifetime, thank you very much.

[Illustration: WILLIAM AND BETTINE STEPPED SOLEMNLY HAND IN HAND UPON
THE LITTLE PLATFORM WHICH HAD BEEN PROVIDED FOR THE MAY QUEEN.]

William and Bettine stepped solemnly hand in hand upon the little
platform which had been provided for the May Queen.

Miss Dewhurst, who was chatting amicably to the parents till the last
of her small performers should appear, seemed suddenly turned to
stone, with mouth gaping and eyes wide. The old fiddler, who was
rather short-sighted, struck up the strains, and the dancers began to
dance. The audience relaxed, leaning back in their chairs to enjoy the
scene. Miss Dewhurst was still frozen. There were murmured comments.
"How curious to have that boy there! A sort of attendant, I suppose."

"Yes, perhaps he's something allegorical. A sort of pageant. Good Luck
or something. It's not quite the sort of thing I expected, I must
admit."

"What do you think of the Queen's dress? I always thought Miss
Dewhurst had better taste. Rather tawdry, I call it."

"I think the moustache is a mistake. It gives quite a common look to
the whole thing. I wonder who he's meant to be? Pan, do you think?"
uncertainly.

"Oh, no, nothing so _pagan_, I hope," said an elderly matron,
horrified. "He's that Brown boy, you know. There always seems to be
something queer about anything he's in. I've noticed it often. But I
_hope_ he's meant to be something more Christian than Pan, though one
never knows in these days," she added darkly.

William's sister had recognised her possessions, and was gasping in
anger.

William's father, who knew William, was smiling sardonically.

William's mother was smiling proudly.

"You're always running down William," she said to the world in
general, "but look at him now.