“Stand up and bow!” whispered Margaret, nudging the unaccustomed performers.  “That’s right!  Bow again!  It’s most clearly an encore.  Have you brought anything else with you?  Good biz!  Don’t waste any more time, then.  We’re rather late.”

The song that Winona had chosen was a bright little Irish ditty, with a catchy tune and lively accompaniment.  Garnet played the air softly on the mandoline, and the two girls sang in unison, keeping strictly together, and pronouncing very plainly, so that the point of the amusing words should not be lost.  The audience shrieked with laughter, and would have demanded a further encore, had not Margaret pointed to the clock, and shaken her head firmly.  There were other items on the program and time was going all too fast.

Another violin solo, a recitation and a Highland fling followed; then the concert wound up with a Christy Minstrel song from several members of the Sixth.  This last was the triumph of the afternoon.  Patricia prided herself on her preparations.  She had placed a newspaper inside the grand piano over the strings, and when the hammers struck against it the effect of the accompaniment was exactly that of a banjo.  She had borrowed two sets of castanets, a pair of cymbals, and a triangle, and with these loud-sounding instruments she and her companions emphasized the chorus.  Garnet and Winona helped with mandoline and guitar, so the general result was quite orchestral.  During the performance of this chef-d’oeuvre some of the prefects went round with collecting bags, which were passed along the benches.

    “Come, my dark-eyed honey,
    And help to spend my money,”

chanted the minstrels lustily, and the audience smiled at the appropriateness of the words.

It was felt that the Symposium had been an enormous success.  The girls were quite loath to leave, and dispersed slowly from the gymnasium.  Many eyes were turned on Winona and Garnet as they carried their instruments down from the platform.  “Who are they?” every one was asking, for so far their names were not known outside their own form.  “The two County Scholarship holders,” somebody replied, and the information was passed on.

Next morning, Margaret proudly posted up the result of the collection, which amounted to L2 13_s._ 7_d._—­a very substantial sum in the estimation of the school.

“It ought to be sufficient to buy a cup!” she triumphed.  “Miss Bishop has promised to send for some catalogues, so that we can look up the prices.  We shall start the season well, at any rate.  Kirsty’s almost ready to stand on her head!  I never saw any one so elated!”

“Except yourself!” smiled Patricia.

“Cela va sans dire, camarade!”

Garnet and Winona, walking down the High Street together after the performance, also compared notes.

“It was fine!  I do admire Margaret.  Mustn’t it be splendid to be head of the school?” sighed Garnet enviously.