"Tyrants, more likely!"
"We'll see about bear gardens!"
"We won't be sat upon by a clique!"
These and other remarks were shouted in reply. Some of the excited girls scrambled up and stood on their seats; each began to talk to her neighbour, and the noise swelled till it grew into a general roar of: "A referendum! Give us a referendum!"
Helen rang the bell for silence, and, when some sort of order was restored, once more faced the turbulent Juniors.
"Do I clearly understand what it is you want to put to the vote?" she asked, frowning.
"Yes! Yes! Tell her again, Gipsy!"
"I may be a new girl," said Gipsy, "but the others have chosen me to speak for them, so I'm their lawful delegate. What we want to vote about is a question of separation. Are we Juniors to keep on in the old Guilds, or start Guilds of our own?"
"It will have to be a referendum of both Seniors and Juniors," replied Helen sharply.
"That's only fair. This is a public Annual Meeting, and we want to do everything in order."