ies and moths, or preparing
slides for the microscope.

"I'm going to be a doctor when I grow up," he confided to Gwen, "so
microscopic work will be a help to me. Dad's teaching me a little
scrap of dispensing now, just to amuse me."

"I hope he doesn't let you make up the bottles of medicine!" laughed
Gwen. "I pity the patients."

"Rather not, but I see what goes in them. If you'll come over to the
surgery some day I'll make you taste something for laughing!"

"We should be lost without Dick now," said Gwen one day at tea. "What
shall we do when he goes back to school?"

"I'm afraid that won't be just yet," said Mr. Gascoyne. "He doesn't
get strong as fast as his father hoped. He's a nice lad, not
brilliant, but very painstaking over his work. It's quite a pleasure
to teach him."

CHAPTER VIII

Gwen Receives a Letter

After her talk with Father on the evening of the prize-giving Gwen
went back to school determined, if she could not feel cordial just at
present towards her classmates, she would at least bury the hatchet
and take no notice of the unkindness they had exhibited. It seemed
much the most dignified course, for Gwen was far too proud to look
injured, or to show even to Netta that she had felt hurt. Perhaps the
girls were a little ashamed of themselves. Iris Watson and one or two
others spoke to her with quite an approach to friendliness, and
Elspeth Frazer asked her opinion about the costumes for the play. Gwen
was not taking a part, so she was rather a free lance in that respect,
and her advice was likely to be disinterested. Each Form got up its
own particular act with a secrecy worthy of the Freemasons. It was a
point of honour not to betray the least tiny hint of what was going to
happen, in order that the performance should be a complete surprise to
the rest of the school.

Now the Fifth had decided to give the trial scene from the _Merchant
of Venice_--rather an ambitious and decidedly a hackneyed piece to
select. The Dramatic Society was influenced in its choice, however,
by several considerations; the Form was studying _The Merchant_, and
had learnt the principal speeches for recitations, which would save a
great deal of trouble to the performers in the matter of studying
parts. Then Hilda Browne's father was a barrister and would lend his
wig for the occasion, and Louise Mawson could bring a gown that would
do excellently for Shylock's gaberdine, also two sets of tights and
double