with holes in the
sides, on the backs of which were pasted pieces of coloured
gelatine paper to represent jewels, the whole mounted on
cardboard and stiff.

2. A Celtic necklace cut out of gilt paper, with the top mounted
on a band of thin muslin to prevent tearing.

3. A large Celtic brooch, five inches in diameter, studded, like
the coronet, with gelatine jewels, and neatly sewn on to a
safety-pin.

Phillis was in raptures.

"They're topping!--A 1!--Scrumptious!" she exulted. "Oh, you really are
clever. I can't think how you did it. Where's Miss Lightwood? I must
show them to her _at once_. Let me put them on. I'll be very careful and
not break the necklace."

The result of Lesbia's ingenuity was what she might have expected:
everybody who was taking a major or minor part in the song-drama
clamoured for Celtic jewellery. Miss Lightwood, as stage manageress,
declared it was the one thing, needful for the production of what she
called "local atmosphere". She appealed to Miss Tatham, and represented
the matter so strongly that the Principal actually excused Lesbia's
afternoon lessons for the whole last week of term and set her to work in
the studio instead, turning out torcs and chaplets. It was interesting
to be the manufacturing goldsmith of the school theatricals, and, though
she grew rather tired of the snip of scissors and the scent of gum, she
toiled away womanfully until even the veriest page-boy in the
performance had a brooch to hold his tunic together.

The entertainment was to be an evening one, to which parents and
friends were invited. It would be a very festive occasion, and of course
everybody would come in evening dress. Here was a point that caused
Lesbia great heart-burning. Her boxes, which Paul had promised to send
back from Canada, had not yet arrived, and unless they made their
appearance before the important 19th of December, she would be reduced
to the horrible alternative of missing the party altogether or attending
it in her school frock. She had hinted at her predicament to Mrs.
Patterson, hoping for the loan of one of Joan's evening dresses, but
Mrs. Patterson had been aggressively obtuse, and had hinted in her turn
that it would do Lesbia no harm to do without her best clothes until she
realized the value of them. Every day poor Lesbia looked hopefully on
her return from school to see whether her boxes were in the hall, and
every day she met with the s