em. Now, I'm afraid we must hurry and look over
our designs, for I have a class coming at half-past five."

"And I'm wasting your precious time," said Lesbia, springing up.

"Not at all. I should have had tea in any case. I told you I can't get
on without it."

Miss Joyce had studied design, and had a big portfolio of drawings put
away in a corner. She lifted it on to a table, and she and Lesbia went
through its contents carefully. They were lost in choice between
poppyheads, almond blossom, vine leaves, ivy, brier rose and irises, but
finally decided to adapt a painting of water-lilies for their purpose.

"Lotus blooms were a great feature of decorative art in ancient
Egypt," said Miss Joyce, hunting through a book on "Egyptian ornament"
to demonstrate her point. "Look at this delicious little bit! With the
long stems and the leaves and the seed vessels we ought to be able to
manage something satisfactory. I'll bring the painting and the book to
school, then we must evolve a simple design that we can cut in stencil.
Done in dull green on the pale green colourwash I flatter ourselves it
ought to look rather artistic."

"It'll be simply topping. _How_ I shall enjoy dabbing it on! Thanks a
million times for helping. Is this a pupil coming?" (as a suggestive tap
sounded on the door). "Then I must take my books and scoot off.
Good-bye--and again thank you _awfully_!"

CHAPTER IV

An Upheaval

With a certain amount of help from Miss Joyce Lesbia contrived to make a
really very nice stencil design of water-lilies. It was submitted to
Miss Tatham, who gave her approval and permission for it to be
transferred to the walls of VA. It was a proud occasion for Lesbia when
Tuesday afternoon saw her installed in her own form room with stencil,
paints, and brushes, actually beginning the delightful task of
decoration. The room was vacant only on that one afternoon in the week,
and Miss Tatham would not allow her to stay and work after school hours,
so her plan must proceed piecemeal with about a couple of yards painted
at a stretch. It gave an added interest to spread out the enjoyment from
week to week, though the wall looked horribly unfinished with a
half-completed design. She had been a little doubtful as to how the form
would receive her handiwork, and whether they would consider it an
improvement or an eyesore. Fortunately, they liked it, and told her to
hurry up and get along with it as fast as she could. The g