"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?"