“Pray expound and elucidate,” murmured Marguerite, from the hammock, where she was lazily swaying to and fro.
“Oh, it’s nothing much,” said Nan; “only that we give a play.”
“Is that all?” said Marguerite. “I thought you meant something nice.”
“Let’s do it,” cried Betty. “I just love that sort of thing—‘Oh, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?’ ”
“Shall we hire the town hall, or wouldn’t that be big enough?” inquired Helen.
“And don’t let’s do it half-way,” said Marjorie. “We can get scenery and costumes from New York and give ‘L’Aiglon’ or ‘Faust’ or something worth while.”
“Nonsense!” said Nan. “Do be quiet, girls, until I tell you what I mean. You see, we’ve written such really good and funny things in the ‘Whitecap’ that I’m sure we could write a little play, with songs and things, and then act it; and it would be lots of fun.”
“Oh, you mean an opera,” said Millicent. “Why, of course we could dash off an opera any morning, just as easy as not. Come on; let’s begin.”
“No, wait!” cried Nan; “you don’t understand, and I won’t be made fun of. I’m serious.”
“Of course you are; no one took you for a joke. But, even so, you can’t stop us now we’re started”; and Hester grasped a pencil, and taking the “Whitecap,” began to write: