" answered Josephine.

"And they promised faithfully to have it here last night," said Patricia
disgustedly. "Now will you be certain sure to get it from the parcel
room and see that Molly has it in plenty of time. I'll make the two of
you responsible--Judy, you remind her--we go straight to the
drawing-room for the reception after prize-giving and--"

"Don't worry your fussy old self," said Josephine cheerfully; "nobody
really believes in me, but Judy never forgets. We'll put the wig with
our own fair hands on Molly Seaton's head. Come on, Judy, and see if
Cathy's flowers have come yet."

Upstairs everything was in delightful confusion: trunks were being
carried off, last packings attended to, every one was visiting every one
else, and every one was doing her best to make her voice heard above the
general confusion.

After luncheon white frocks were donned for prize-giving, and then the
younger girls went about in groups visiting the graduating Sixth Form
and admiring their flowers.

The crew of the "Jolly Susan" had clubbed together to buy roses for
their Captain.

"We can't get blue roses," Nancy had said regretfully, "but let's get
the palest pink we can find and tie them with blue gauze. I'm afraid
that's all we can do to suggest sailor boys. Whatever shall we do
without her next year?"

There were beautiful flowers everywhere they went, but the crew were
quite convinced when they came back to the "Jolly Susan" that none were
lovelier than theirs, and most certainly no one to compare with
Catherine herself.

Prize-giving proved even more exciting than Judith had anticipated. "If
only Daddy and Mother could have been here," she thought, as she took
her place in the long line of white-frocked girls and looked a bit
wistfully at the big audience which held the girls' fathers and mothers.
But that must be Uncle Tom--yes, it was, and Aunt Nell--bless them. She
wouldn't feel lonely now. And yes--there were Tom and Jack. Then Judith
remembered that she mustn't look about the audience, but keep her mind
on the programme. She looked down at the printed sheet in her hand, but
she knew quite well where they were sitting, and Jack's friendly smile
was the first she saw when she came down from the platform with her
prizes in her hand.

Prize-giving was an especially important event for the Sixth, who were
graduating. To them it was perhaps the greatest moment of the year, for
the receiving of diploma or certificate,