The others wandered around the table, picking up the cards and laying them down again.
“Brightness, or Beauty,” read Polly, disgustedly. “Imagine any one of us owning up to that! Of course, we all know we have them both, but who is going to claim them?”
“It’s going to be a conflict between modesty and hunger soon, I can see that,” said Archie.
277“Peace and Purity are all well enough. If I could find a half-way sort like Perfect Honesty or Genius, I’d stop there! What’s this? Bright Raven! I tell you, it’s a game, made out of book titles. But I’ll be jiggered if I ever heard of one of them.”
“I never did, either,” said Dorcas, shortly. “They must have hunted around in very queer places to find things that none of us know. Star of the Sea, though, does sound familiar. Isn’t it one of Tennyson’s?”
Bertha choked and turned away, avoiding Algernon’s eye.
“Hurry up, and find yours, the rest of you,” said Tom suddenly, “I’m fixed and I’m ready to eat.”
Every one pounced upon him, to discover that he had chosen to install himself at a place marked The Whiskered One.
“I’m the only fellow here who ever wore a mustache,” he said, “so it’s plain, though rather far-fetched.”
“It’s not your place, though, Tom, truly,” said Bertha. “I’m afraid we’ll have to help. The librarian always does help stupid people.”