. The climax was reached when the two waltzed off together round
the room, the doll sustaining a delightful stiffness and stoniness of
mien, while Topsy's grin threatened to reach to her very ears.

Ordinary costumes fell somewhat flat after these triumphs, though to the
Freshers there was a continuing joy in beholding dignified students in
their third year pirouetting in childlike abandonment. There, for
instance, was the cleverest girl in college, of whom it was accepted as
a certainty that she would become a world-wide celebrity, an austere and
remote personage who was seldom seen to smile; there she stood, the
daintiest Christmas Cracker that one could wish to behold, in a sheath
of shimmery pink, tied in the middle by a golden string, finished at
either end with a froth of frills, and ornamented front and back with
immense bouquets of flowers. By an ingenious arrangement also, if you
pulled a string in a certain way, a mysterious cracking sound was heard,
and a motto made its appearance bearing an original couplet whose
reference was strictly and delightfully local.

The run on these mottoes was great, and after their points were fully
enjoyed, they were folded carefully away, to be kept as souvenirs of the
great scholar of later years.

The evening was half over, and the girls had settled down to the dance,
when suddenly, unexpectedly, the great excitement arrived. At a moment
when the music had ceased, and the various couples were preparing for
the usual promenade around the Hall, a loud roar was heard from without,
and into the middle of the floor there trotted nothing more nor less
than a tawny yellow lion, which, being confronted by a crowd of
spectators, drew back as if in fear, and crouched in threatening manner.
Its masked face showed a savage row of teeth; a mass of red hair,
shortened by that mysterious process known as "back combing," produced a
sufficiently convincing mane; a yellow skin hearthrug was wrapped round
the body, while paint and wadding combined had contrived a wonderfully
good imitation of claws.

It was the colour of the hair alone which revealed the identity of the
Lion to her companions. "It's that wretched little ginger Georgie!"

"That little ginger beast!" went the cry from lip to lip. But, abuse
her as they might, for the rest of the evening "Ginger Georgie" remained
the centre of attraction, as she persistently ambled after Topsy, and
gnawed at her brown feet, evidently re