e result. But, of course, I must be absolved from any experiments
of the kind."

"Oh, of course! And mother, too, if she likes, though I should love to
see her made-up as Shylock! You must not see or ask about our dresses
until the night arrives. They must be a secret. You will lend us all
your fineries, mother--won't you?"

"Bless your heart, yes! But I haven't got any!" said Mrs Asplin, in
her funny Irish way. "They were all worn out long, long ago." She gave
a little sigh for the memory of the days when she had a wardrobe full of
pretty things and a dozen shimmery silk dresses hanging on the pegs, and
then flashed a loving smile at her husband, in case he might think that
she regretted their loss. "If there is anything about the rooms that
would do, you are welcome to use it," she added, glancing vaguely at the
sideboard and dumb waiter, while the boys laughed loudly at the idea of
finding any "properties" in the shabby old dining-room.

Peggy, however, returned thanks in the most gracious manner, and sat
wrapt in thought for the rest of the evening, gazing darkly around from
time to time, and scribbling notes on sheets of note-paper.

Short of playing Shylock, which in the end fell to Maxwell's share, it
seemed as if all the responsibility of the performance fell on Peggy's
shoulders. She was stage manager, selecting appropriate pieces of
furniture from the different rooms and piling them together behind the
screen in the study, whence they could be produced at a moment's notice,
to give some idea of the different scenes. She coached Esther and
Mellicent in their parts, designed and superintended the making of the
costumes, and gave the finishing touches to each actor in turn when the
night of the "Dramatic Reading" arrived.

"Taking one consideration with another," as Max remarked, "the costumes
were really masterpieces of art."

To attire two young gentlemen as Italian cavaliers, and a third as a
bearded Jew, with no materials at hand beyond the ordinary furnishings
of a house, is a task which calls for no small amount of ingenuity, yet
this is exactly what Peggy had done.

Antonio and Bassanio looked really uncommonly fine specimens, with
cycling knickerbockers, opera cloaks slung over their shoulders, and
flannel shirts pouched loosely over silk sashes, and ornamented with
frills of lace at wrists and neck. Darkened eyebrows gave them a
handsome and distinguished air, and old straw hats and fe