d
things--and now I've forgotten it,' Noel said in gloom.

'Never mind,' Alice answered, 'it'll come back to you in the silent
watches of the night; you see if it doesn't. But really, Noel's right,
it OUGHT to have a name.'

'Free Drinks Company.' 'Thirsty Travellers' Rest.' 'The Travellers'
joy.'

These names were suggested, but not cared for extra.

Then someone said--I think it was Oswald--'Why not "The House
Beautiful"?'

'It can't be a house, it must be in the road. It'll only be a stall.'

'The "Stall Beautiful" is simply silly,' Oswald said.

'The "Bar Beautiful" then,' said Dicky, who knows what the 'Rose and
Crown' bar is like inside, which of course is hidden from girls.

'Oh, wait a minute,' cried the Dentist, snapping his fingers like
he always does when he is trying to remember things. 'I thought of
something, only Daisy tickled me and it's gone--I know--let's call it
the Benevolent Bar!'

It was exactly right, and told the whole truth in two words.
'Benevolent' showed it was free and 'Bar' showed what was free; e.g.
things to drink. The 'Benevolent Bar' it was.

We went home at once to prepare for the morrow, for of course we meant
to do it the very next day. Procrastination is you know what--and delays
are dangerous. If we had waited long we might have happened to spend our
money on something else.

The utmost secrecy had to be observed, because Mrs Pettigrew hates
tramps. Most people do who keep fowls. Albert's uncle was in London till
the next evening, so we could not consult him, but we know he is always
chock full of intelligent sympathy with the poor and needy.

Acting with the deepest disguise, we made an awning to cover the
Benevolent Bar keepers from the searching rays of the monarch of the
skies. We found some old striped sun-blinds in the attic, and the girls
sewed them together. They were not very big when they were done, so we
added the girls' striped petticoats. I am sorry their petticoats turn
up so constantly in my narrative, but they really are very useful,
especially when the band is cut off. The girls borrowed Mrs Pettigrew's
sewing-machine; they could not ask her leave without explanations, which
we did not wish to give just then, and she had lent it to them before.
They took it into the cellar to work it, so that she should not hear the
noise and ask bothering questions.

They had to balance it on one end of the beer-stand. It was not easy.
While they were doing the se