fing
the air appreciatively as they entered, and announcing themselves ready
to eat anything and everything.

"I feel like a ragged-school child going to a treat!" announced Ursula.
"As for Lorna, she's been banting in preparation; she hardly took any
dinner."

"It's a libel!" protested Lorna. "I had quite as much as Ursie. What
have you made? We're dying to know!"

"Where are your manners? Please to remember you're visitors. You're not
to ask; you must wait until we bring the things on to the table."

Three hostesses and five guests seemed to completely fill the tiny
sitting-room.

"It's so delightfully minute!" declared Phoebe Stanhope. "When I was a
little girl, I always longed to make myself small, like Alice in
Wonderland, and have tea in my own dolls' house. Now I feel as if I were
really doing it at last!"

"There isn't room for us all at the table," said Mabel. "Dora, you had
better let down that side leaf."

"It's an afternoon calling tea, not a sit-down schoolroom tea,"
explained Aldred.

"Three of you must sit in the cosy corner," commanded Dora, "and the
other two may have the arm-chairs."

"But mayn't we help to bring in the things?"

"No, you mayn't! Agnes, I wish you'd sit down! If you were paying a real
call, you wouldn't bounce up and try to peep into the kitchen."

"You came too early," said Mabel reproachfully. "We were going to have
everything exactly ready for half-past four."

"Well, you might at least tell us how you've been getting on. Has it
been fun spending the day here?"

"Simply scrumptious!" replied the trio.

"I'd like to do it again next week!" added Dora.

"It's the Fifth Form next Saturday, and after that it's my turn, with
Phoebe and Myfanwy. When's this wonderful tea coming in? We're all
waiting!"

"We'll make it now," said Mabel. "Aldred, will you put out the spoons?"

Dora had laid the best embroidered linen cloth on the table, set cups
and saucers, and brought in the milk and a plateful of bread and butter.
It only needed the teapot and the scones and cakes, therefore, to
complete the feast.

"I hope you've made enough to go round twice!" said Ursula.

"Beautiful cakes, so rich and brown,
Oh, how quickly you'll go down!
Who for such dainties does not ache?
Cake of the evening, beautiful, beautiful cake!"

sang Phoebe, trying to out-Alice _Alice_.

"How disgustingly greedy you are! I call it quite indecent. You don't
deserve anything,