isoners of war? That's what you said about me, at any rate! If you
want your old things, you must buy them back!"

And Monica, making a sudden dive between two Fifth Form girls, escaped
from her sister, and sought the farthest corner of the gymnasium.

In spite of her indignation, Lorraine could not help acknowledging that
there was justice in these remarks. It would certainly be most
undignified, and in fact impossible, to take back articles once given to
the sale. Cuckoo's taunt about the prisoners of war stung Lorraine
badly. If she wanted her treasures, there was nothing for it but to put
the best face she could on the matter, and buy them at once before
anybody else had an innings. It might already be too late. In
considerable anxiety she hurried back to the stall, and found a
curly-headed junior critically handling the robin mug. She snatched it
from the child with scant ceremony.

"If you don't want this, Doris, I do! How much, Kitty, please? I'll take
these pictures too; yes, and this chalet; and I'll have the ink-pot and
the frame as well. That's all, if you'll make them into a parcel.
Thanks!" and Lorraine sailed away, leaving Doris open-mouthed, and Kitty
cheerfully clinking the change in her brown leather moneybag. It was
annoying to have spent so much, for it meant forgoing a piece of music
which she had intended to give to Morland. She watched her cousin buy it
instead.

"I'll borrow it from Vivien and copy it," she thought rapidly. "Or if
Morland plays it twice over, he'll have it by heart. Hallo! Four o'clock
already, and these stalls not half cleared! We shall have to have an
auction."

Patsie, on being consulted, agreed, and readily undertook the post of
auctioneer, to which she was voted by general accord.

"I don't know whether to take it as compliment or not," she twittered.
"I suppose you think I've got the gift of the gab, and will make a good
Cheap Jack! Well, I'll do my best for you. Here goes! Give me a ruler or
something for a hammer."

A treble line of girls spread themselves round in an amused circle.
Patsie, and especially Patsie in a bantering mood, was always worth
listening to. They prepared themselves for a half-hour of sheer fun.

The amateur auctioneer--or rather auctioneeress--seized upon the first
thing that came to hand, which happened to be one of Claire's discarded
dolls. She held it aloft, and descanted eloquently upon its virtues.

"Look at this!" she proclaimed. "A r