"When did she come?" asked Aldora.
"Why, she's been there the whole time," volunteered Betty Wroe, who was helping as wardrobe woman; "didn't you see her sitting at the back?"
"I never dared to look at the audience," gasped Lesbia. "Oh! To think of all the awful things I said about teachers and Cupid, and all the rest of it, with Miss Pratt actually sitting and listening. It gives me spasms. And I went on so about 'dear George'."
"And there was I with my corked moustache acting a regular old bean of a doctor."
"And I dropped all my h's as Mrs. Jones!"
"If we'd only known!"
"It's a good thing you didn't," remarked Betty with a delighted chuckle. "You played up no end, and of course with Miss Pratt in the room the girls were absolutely in fits. Calla's hysterical still. They thought you were doing it on purpose."
"Oh, we wouldn't have dared! I expect Miss Pratt thinks it the most fearful cheek. I wonder if she'll be down on us for it?"
"Oh, Jemima! We're always getting into hot water somehow."
Nell Dawson arrived at that moment with a message that if the performers had changed their costumes Miss Pratt would like a word with them.