Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 24).djvu/536

526 the snowy lace and muslin bibs and aprons and sleeves, which lent them so businesslike an air, and superintended the final touches.

A whole array of cooks and waitresses in rather more serviceable aprons than the girls' took final orders, cut sandwiches under their directions, set each little tea-table with an embroidered white cloth, a Japanese tea-tray, blue and white china, and a glass bowl of roses, sweet and dewy as when they were plucked.

The tea ladies walked through the room hand in hand, their pretty, fair heads held high with delight at the beauty and appropriateness of their arrangements.

"Ten o'clock!" said Eva. "Well, I'm glad we are ready so early, but, of course, we can't expect anyone to come for hours and hours yet."

"Sightseeing is awfully tiring work," Muriel suggested. "I dare say some of the people who are going round the decorations will just drop in for a sandwich or something."

"What a heavenly morning! Aren't we lucky the weather has turned so fine? I do really feel we are going to make a big success!"

And while the words were on Eva's lip, cook came bustling into the room with a scared face.

"Lor', miss! what do you suppose the man as brought the salmon have just told us? Why, there isn't going to be no coronation after all. It's put off deficiently."

"THERE ISN'T GOING TO BE NO CORONATION AFTER ALL."

The girls laughed.

"Nonsense! What tales you get hold of, cook, you and the fish-man. Why should it be put off?"

"They do say the King God bless him, is ill."

"Oh, people are always croaking evil! Don't pay any attention, cook, but just get on with your work."

At that moment a boy passed down the street selling second editions of the morning papers, and shouting, "Serious illness of the King! Coronation postponed!"

Eva and Muriel looked at each other in dismay.

"The poor King!" was Muriel's first exclamation. "Oh, how I hope it isn't really much!"

"The poor people!" sighed Eva. "Think how horribly disappointed they'll be!"

Then the same idea occurred to both girls.