Fauvette.

"Never mind, Baby, you look nice in anything!" returned Aveline
soothingly. "And your white petticoat's a perfect dream! I always said
it was a shame to wear it under a dress."

The entertainment was to take place in the evening, after preparation,
and on the afternoon of the day in question the Fifth Form took sole
and absolute possession of the barn, turning everybody else out, even
those indignant enthusiasts who were at work at the wood-carving
bench.

"Mind, our tools haven't got to be touched, or we'll have something to
say!" called out Daphne as she made an unwilling exit.

"I shall put them all in the box!" returned Morvyth, slamming the
door.

The wood-carving bench had to serve as refreshment table, so it was
cleared with scant ceremony, in spite of Daphne's protest; a clean
cloth, borrowed from the cook, was spread upon it, and plates of cakes
and biscuits, and packets of chocolates, were laid out as attractively
as possible, with vases of flowers between.

Raymonde, who was nothing if not inventive, suddenly evolved a new and
enterprising scheme.

"We must have a platform!" she decided. "Come along to the wood pile,
and we'll get some packing-cases and put railway sleepers over them.
It won't take us long!"

It turned out a more strenuous business than she had anticipated,
however, for it was difficult in the first place to find packing-cases
of the same height, and more difficult still to get the railway
sleepers to fit neatly together on the top of them.

"I hope it'll hold up!" said Aveline dubiously, when the erection was
at last complete.

"Oh, it'll just have to hold!" returned Raymonde in her airiest
manner. "I think it's nicer than a stiff platform, and more suitable
for a barn. It looks really 'coony', and suggests the Wild West, and
log-cabins, and all that sort of thing."

Immediately after preparation, the coons retired to make final
arrangements in the barn. The big stable lanterns were lighted and
hung up for purposes of illumination, and a cauldron of water was set
upon the oil cooking-stove. It was a horrible scramble, for time was
short, and they still had to change their dresses. Everyone seemed in
everybody else's way, and each gave directions to the others, though
nobody was in authority, and all got decidedly cross and snapped at
one another.

"It's not an atom of use sticking up that lantern unless you fill it
first," urged Valentine. "I tell you it's almost