"Oh, thanks immensely. May Lesbia stay too? She's keen on painting."
"Certainly if she likes; but no more please. Two are quite enough."
"Right-o! I won't breathe a word to the others."
Accordingly, when Miss Chatham told her party to collect their umbrellas and go, Marion asked and received permission for herself and Lesbia to remain for ten minutes longer with Miss Renton. The rest of the girls had seen all they wanted and were anxious to hurry off home. Even Regina did not hint for an invitation to join the favoured pair. Their footsteps echoed through the big hall as they walked away. Miss Renton looked after them, then closed the door of the museum.
"I don't want any more of the public coming in to-day," she declared. "If I open the show-cases we must have the place to ourselves."
SHE SQUEEZED THROUGH THE FRAME WITHOUT MUCH DIFFICULTY
[Page 245]
Then followed a very pleasant ten minutes which lengthened into half an hour. The girls were allowed to inspect and even to handle many of the beautiful curios. It was delightfully flattering to have cases unlocked specially for their benefit, and much more interesting than seeing the exhibits among a crowd.
"I've a box in here that I haven't had time to unpack yet," said Miss Renton, leading the way into a small stone ante-chamber which opened out of the museum. "This little room was once an oratory. It's only lighted by a lancet window. I use it as a store cupboard, because it's too dark to hold a show-case."