"That will do, Philip!" said Patty, turning very pink. "Go on, Phil!" cried Roger. "If she hadn't what?" "If she hadn't said I'd look so sweet in a light blue satin coat," replied Philip, pretending to look confused. "Oh, pshaw! She didn't say that," declared Roger. "And beside, you won't!" "Oh, yes, he will," said Patty. "Those court suits are lovely,--all silver lace and cocked hats! Oh, Philip, do wear one of those! And I'll write to Nan, to get me a costume. What are you going to wear, Mona?" "But we mustn't tell!" said Adele, in dismay. "This is a masquerade, not merely a fancy dress ball." "Oh!" said Patty. "Then we'll have to change our plans, Philip. The Sleeping Beauty game is all off!" "Only for the moment!" And Philip threw her a challenging glance. CHAPTER XIV A PROPOSAL It was after midnight when the Christmas guests went away, and Patty declared her intention of going to bed at once. "I coasted and danced and played hide and seek till I'm utterly worn out," she said, "and I think I shall sleep for a week!" "But I'm going away to-morrow," said Philip, detaining her a moment. "But you're coming back next week. I'll promise to be awake by then. But now I'm going to hibernate, like a bear! Good-night, everybody!" and Patty ran upstairs without further ceremony. But as, in her pretty blue negligee, she sat before the mirror brushing her long hair, Mona, Daisy, and Adele all came into her room, quite evidently with a determination to chat. "You're an old sleepy-head, Patty," declared Adele. "You may sleep as late as you like in the morning, but we want to have a little confab now, about lots of things." "Nicht, nein, non, no!" cried Patty, jumping up and brandishing her hair-brush. "I know perfectly well what your confabs mean,--an hour or more of chattering and giggling! Come in the morning,--I'm going to have my chocolate upstairs to-morrow,--and I'll give you all the information you want. But as for to-night, skip, scoot, scamper, and vamoose, every dear, sweet, pretty little one of you!" Laughingly, Patty pushed the three out of her room, and closing the door after them, turned its key, unheeding their protests, and returned to her hair-brushing. "It's no use, Patricia," she said, talking to herself in the mirror, as she often did, "letting those girls keep you up till all hours! You need your beauty sleep, to preserve what small pretence to good looks you have left." Patty was not really vain of her pretty face, but she well knew that her delicate type of beauty could not stand continuous late hours without showing it, and Patty was not mistaken when she claimed for herself a good share of common sense. But as she brushed away at the golden tangle of curls, she heard a light tap at her door, which sounded insistent, rather than mischievous. "Who is it?" she asked, as she rose and went toward the door. "It's Daisy," said a low voice. "Let me in, Patty, just for a minute."