When the young people saw each other for the first time in their stage costumes there was a good deal of merriment and some honest admiration. Geoff looked very odd without his eyeglasses and with the yellow wig that was the one property belonging to this star dramatic organisation.
The girls had not succeeded in producing a great effect with the masculine costumes, because of insufficient material. But the boys had determined not to wear their ordinary clothes, no matter what happened; so Jack had donned one of Hop Yet’s blue blouses for his Sylvius dress, and had ready a plaid shawl to throw gracefully over one shoulder whenever he changed to the Banished Duke.
His Sylvius attire was open to criticism, but no one could fail to admire his appearance as the Duke, on account of a magnificent ducal head-gear, from which soared a bunch of tall peacock feathers.
“Oh, Jack, what a head-dress for a Duke!” laughed Margery; “no wonder they banished you. Did you offend the court hatter?”
Phil said that at all events nobody could mistake him for anything but a fool, in his “Touchstone” costume, and so he was jest-er going to be contented.
Scott Burton was arranging Pancho’s toilette for the wrestling-match, and meanwhile trying to raise his drooping spirits; and Rosalind was vainly endeavouring to make Adam’s beard of grey moss stay on.
While these antics were going on behind the scenes, the audience was seated on the knoll, making merry over the written programmes, which had been a surprise of Geoff’s, and read as follows:—
THE PRINCESS’ THEATRE.
July 10th, 188–.
Appearance of the Greatest Dramatic Company
on Earth (fact).
The Coolest Theatre in the World.