eeting, and
were running away down the lemon pergola in the direction of the house,
immensely upset to find there had been a secret listener in their midst.
Once they were out of sight Peachy cooeed for Jess and Irene, who
appeared bursting with laughter and demanding details, having witnessed
the rout of the enemy from a distance.

"I'll tell you presently if you'll help me climb out of this wretched
thing," said Peachy, who found it a far more difficult matter to
extricate herself from the jar than it had been to drop into it. "How'm
I going to manage? Oh, don't pull my arms so, you hurt!"

It was indeed somewhat of a problem, and Peachy was beginning to feel
seriously alarmed, when, fortunately, one of the gardeners came to the
rescue, and tilted the jar over so as to allow her to crawl out.

"I feel like a released Slave of the Lamp, or a freed dryad, or
something fairy-taley or mythological," she declared. "It was worth it,
though, to see those girls' faces. Thank you, Giovanni! I'm ever so much
obliged. Sorry if I've spoilt your bed of violets. Is that Delia calling
us? Coming, dearie. Where are the rest of the Camellia Buds? I may as
well tell my story to the whole bunch of you together. Then you'll see
the sort of thing we're up against. They've taken our idea, and they're
trying to beat us on our own ground. That's what it's all about."

CHAPTER X

The School Carnival

The Camellia Buds considered that they possessed a real grievance. The
difference between an animated toy-shop and waxworks was so slight as to
be immaterial. In both the figures would require to be wound up, after
which they would perform various antics. The idea had certainly
originated with Peachy, and the Starry Circle had merely copied it.
Their stunt was in fact a shameless plagiarism.

"Why couldn't they have joined with us and we'd have done the toy-shop
all together?" demanded Agnes crossly.

"Oh, I don't know. It's just their perversity. It'll look so stupid to
have two separate shows. Whichever comes last will seem so stale after
the other."

"Why, of course, ours will come first! It _must_!"

"There'll be a fight for it."

"We can't squabble at the carnival with Miss Rodgers and Miss Morley
looking on. We'd better have our battle beforehand and get it over."

"Tell the Stars we mean to have first innings?"

"They'll never agree!"

"Look here, it's no use coming to open war with them. I vote we try
diplomacy.