are not so. I thought poets were always very good, Polly."
"Oh! well, people let him," said Polly, carelessly, "because he puts it
into poetry. It would never do in prose; that would be quite shocking."
"Oh!" said Phronsie, finding the conversation some alleviation to the
fitting-on process.
"Now this left side," said Polly, twisting her head to obtain a good view
of the point in question, "is just right; I couldn't do it any better if I
were to try a thousand times. Why won't this other one behave, and fall
into a pretty curve, I wonder?"
Phronsie yawned softly as the brown eyes were safely behind her.
"I shall gather it up anyway, so," and Polly crushed the refractory folds
recklessly in one hand; "that's the way Mary Gibbs's hat trimmings look,
and I'm sure they're a complete success. Oh! that's lovely," cried Polly,
at the effect. "Now, that's the treatment the whole drapery needs," she
added in the tone of an art connoisseur. "Oh!"
A rushing noise announced the approach of two or three boys, together
with the barking of Prince, as they all ran down the wide hall.
"O dear, dear!" exclaimed Polly, hurriedly pulling and pinning, "there
come the boys to rehearse. It can't be four o'clock," as the door opened
and three members of the cast entered.
"It's quarter-past four," said Jasper, laughing and pulling out his watch;
"we gave you an extra fifteen minutes, as you had such a lot to do. Dear
me! but you are fine, Phronsie. I make my obeisance to Princess
Clotilde!" and he bowed low to the little silver and white figure, as did
the other two boys, and then drew off to witness the final touches.
"It's a most dreadful thing," cried Polly, pushing back the brown waves
from her brow, as she also fell off to their point of view, "to get up a
princess. I had no idea it was such a piece of work."
"You have scored an immense success," said Jasper enthusiastically.
"Oh, Phronsie! you will make the hit of the season."
"You'll think it is even much nicer when it is done," said Polly, vastly
relieved that Jasper had given such a kind verdict. "It's to have a dash
of royal purple on that right side, and in one of the shoulder knots, and
to catch up her train."
"That will be very pretty, I don't doubt," said Jasper, trying to resolve
himself into the cold critic, "but it seems to me it is almost perfect now,
Polly."
"Oh! thank you so much," she cried, with blooming cheeks. "How do
you like it, Clare and Bensie?"
"I can't tell," said Ben, slowly regarding the Princess on all sides; "it's
so transforming."
"It's tiptop!" cried Clare. "It out-princesses any princess I've ever
imagined."
"Well, it's a perfect relief," said Polly, "to have you boys come in. I've
been working so over it that I was ready to say it was horrid. It's too
bad, isn't it, that Dick can't be here to-day to rehearse his part?"
"To be sure," exclaimed Jasper, looking around, "where is the
Princess's page?"
"He's gone to the dentist's," said Polly, making a wry face. "Auntie had
to make the appointment for this afternoon, and we couldn't put off the
rehearsal; Clare can't come any other time, you know."
Phronsie turned an anxious face to the window. "I hope he's not being
hurt very much," she said slowly.
"I don't believe he is," Polly made haste to answer most cheerfully, "it
was only one tooth, you know, Phronsie, to be filled. Auntie says Dr.
Porter told her the rest are all right."
But a cloud rested on the Princess's face. "One tooth is something," she
said.
"Just think how nice it will be when it is all over, and Dick comes
scampering in," cried Jasper, with great hilarity.
"Do climb up on the sofa, Phronsie," urged Polly, looking into the pale
little face, "you must sit down and rest a bit, you're so tired."
"I will read the prologue while she rests," said Jasper.
"So you can," said Polly. "Take care, child," in alarm, "you mustn't curl
up in the corner like that; princesses don't ever do so."
"Don't they?" said Phronsie, flying off from the lovely corner, to
straighten out again into the dignity required; "not when they are little
girls, Polly?"
"No, indeed," said Polly, with a rescuing hand among the silver
spangles and lace; they must never forget that they are princesses,
Phronsie. There now, you're all right."
"Oh!" said Phronsie, sitting quite stiffly, glad if she could not be
comfortable, she could be a princess.
"'Gentle ladies and brave sirs,'" began Jasper in a loud, impressive tone,
from the temporary stage, the large rug in front of
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