"I hardly thought Miss Harding was serious when she proposed it," said Annie Pridwell, who with Deirdre, Dulcie, and Gerda made up the four representatives of Vb.
"Serious enough in all conscience," groaned Dulcie, turning over the leaves of the small volume with an air of special tragedy. "Volumnia—Volumnia—yes, here she comes again—Volumnia—oh! why am I chosen for Volumnia? I'll never get all this stuff into my head!"
"You'll look the character nicely," said Annie consolingly. "You've really rather a classic sort of nose, and you'll have a big distaff and spindle, and be spinning as you talk."
"That won't help me to remember my part, unless I can write it on a scrap of paper and hide it among the flax. I declare, it's not fair! Volumnia has far more to say than Tullus Attius or Sicinius. You ought to have something extra tagged on to your parts."
"We've quite enough, thanks!" declared Deirdre and Annie hastily.
"As for Gerda," continued Dulcie, "she's being let off too easily altogether. Her Senator's speech is only eight lines."
"Well, it's my first term at Latin, remember," said Gerda.
"Jessie Macpherson will have to swot like anything to get up 'Caius Marcus Coriolanus'. I'm glad I'm not picked for the show part, anyhow."
"Jessie won't mind swotting if she has a chance to shine. There'd have been trouble if she'd had to play second fiddle."
"No one would be rash enough to suggest that. She's not head of the school for nothing."