ld sing two
songs; Pixie should do the same. They would all join in appropriate
part songs. By way of a climax the last number on the programme should
be illustrated by a _tableau vivant_. She proposed to write special
words to a well-known air which, together with the tableau, should
illustrate the benefits which the bazaar was destined to provide for the
villagers. The tableau should represent a scene in a cottage interior
in which were grouped four figures--a child suffering from an accident,
a distraught mother, a helpless father, and in the background, bending
beneficently over the patient, the parish nurse.

Esmeralda looked around for approval, and met the stare of blank and
doubtful faces.

"Er--a bit lugubrious, isn't it, Mrs Hilliard?" ventured Stanor at
last, voicing the general impression so strongly that Esmeralda's
imagination instantly took another leap.

"Certainly not, for I should have a second tableau to follow to show the
happy convalescence--child sitting up in bed, pale but smiling, nurse
bringing in bunch of flowers, father and mother, with outstretched
hands, pouring out thanks."

"That's better! That's more like it!"

The murmur of approval passed down the table. Pixie laid her head on
one side in smiling consideration. Yes, it would go; arranged with
Esmeralda's skill and taste the scenes would be pretty and touching,
especially when seen to the accompaniment of her beautiful voice. The
shortness of the time allowed for preparation troubled Pixie no more
than her sister. She smiled at Esmeralda and nodded a cheery
encouragement.

"I'll be the distracted mother, and weep into my apron. Honor will look
a duck in a cap. Who's to be the little victim?"

"Jack, of course. He'll look too sweet," said Jack's proud mother.
"Can't you imagine him, sitting up in bed with his curls peeping out
beneath his bandages--he must have bandages--smiling like a little
angel! He'd bring down the house. The people would love to see him."

Then for the first time Geoffrey spoke. So far he had listened to the
conversation in a silence which both his wife and sister-in-law felt to
be disappointingly unsympathetic. Now his objections were put into
words--

"Isn't Jack rather young and--er--sensitive for such a public role? I
should have thought that your concert would be complete without
troubling about a tableau. In any case, there are plenty of village
children."

"Not with Jack's face.