Patty hesitated. The plan sounded attractive, and she quickly thought that she could invite Rosy for one of the guests and give the boy a Happy Saturday Afternoon. But she didn't want to accept anything from Mr. Lansing, though she couldn't quite bring herself to say so, frankly. "What's the matter, Patty?" asked Nan. "You don't like the idea of the Hippodrome, though I don't see why." "I _do_ like it," said Patty, "but we can't decide these things in a minute. We ought to have a meeting of the club and talk it over." "Nonsense," said Mona. "You know very well, Patty, it isn't a formal club. I'm going to accept these two Hippodrome boxes, and tell the girls that we can each invite two guests. The Hippodrome show is lovely this year, and anybody would like it, whether children or grown-ups. And we're much obliged to you, Mr. Fairfield." "You're taking a great deal upon yourself, Mona," said Patty. "You're not president of the club." "Neither are you." "Well, _I'm_ not dictating how things shall be run." "Well, I _am_! So all you'll have to do, is to run along with me." Mona was so laughingly good-natured that Patty's serious face broke into a smile, too. She was annoyed at the idea of being under obligation to Mr. Lansing, but, after all, it was hardly fair to stand in the way of eight people's pleasure. So she surrendered gracefully. "All right, Mona," she said; "we'll have the Hippodrome party. I know one guest I shall invite, who's sure to enjoy it. He's a boy about fourteen, and the funniest thing you ever saw." "I'd like to take children, too," said Mona; "but I don't know many. I think I'll ask Celeste's two little sisters." It was characteristic of Patty not to dwell on anything unpleasant, so having made up her mind to accept Mr. Lansing's favour, she entered heartily into the plan for the next party. But after dinner, when the girls were alone in Patty's boudoir, she said to Mona, seriously, "You know I didn't want to take that box from Mr. Lansing." "Of course I know it, Patty," and Mona smiled, complacently. "But I made you do it, didn't I? I knew I should in the end, but your father helped me unexpectedly, by offering a second box. Now, Pattikins, you may as well stop disliking Mr. Lansing. He's my friend, and he's going to stay my friend. He may have some faults, but everybody has." "But, Mona, he isn't our sort at all. I don't see _why_ you like him." "He mayn't be your sort, but he's mine; and I like him because I like him! That's the only reason that anybody likes anybody. You think nobody's any good unless they have all sorts of aristocratic ancestry! Like that Van Reypen man who's always dangling after you." "He isn't dangling now," said Patty. "I haven't seen him since my party." "You haven't! Is he mad at you?" "Yes; he and Roger are both mad at me; and all on account of your old Mr. Lansing!"