"Oh, I wouldn't be afraid of a mouse! But you might have met a,--a burglar or something?" "No," and Patty still grinned. "I didn't meet any _burglar_. But I got the card, Daisy, so that's all right." "Was it like mine? Let me see it." "It wasn't exactly like yours, and I won't let you see it. You kept it away from me, and now it's my turn to keep it away from you. And by the way, Daisy, that was a mean thing to do, and I don't want you to do anything like that to me again!" Patty's sweet face showed an unusually stern expression, and her blue eyes looked straight into Daisy's as she spoke. "I won't, Patty; truly, I won't. I'm awfully sorry, but I did it on a sudden impulse." "I know it; and, Daisy, I want you to try not to give way to those 'sudden impulses' when they're mean ones. You have enough good, generous impulses to keep you busy. Now, you mustn't mind if your Aunt Patty lectures you a little bit, because as the teachers always say, 'it's for your own good.' And if you'll please take a chair, instead of sitting all over my feet, I'd like to have my breakfast; for I hear my pretty little Swedish Hedwig bringing it in." The smiling maid appeared with Patty's breakfast tray, followed by Mona and Adele. "Company already!" exclaimed Patty, sitting up in bed. "Hedwig, quick, my breakfast cap,--the pink one,--and the nightingale to match." The maid threw the silken wrap around Patty's shoulders, and tucked her hair into the lace-frilled cap, which was of a Dutch shape, and made Patty look like the pictures of Holland's pretty queen. "You don't seem hungry," said Mona, as Patty toyed with her chocolate. "Now, I ate a most astonishing breakfast, because I forgot to eat my supper last night." "Well, you see," returned Patty, dropping her lashes to hide her twinkling eyes, "I didn't forget to eat my supper." The recollection of that supper in the pantry was too much for her, and she burst into laughter. "What _is_ the matter with you, Patty?" said Adele. "You're acting like a harmless lunatic! However, I'm sent to tell you to hop up and get dressed, for one of your admirers below stairs wants you to go for a sleighride with him." "Jim?" asked Patty, looking up with a smile. "No; Mr. Van Reypen." "Oh, good gracious! I don't care about going riding with Philip; I can see _him_ in New York. I hoped it was Hal,--that's why I said Jim." "Patty," said her hostess, "you're a born coquette, and always will be! But your wiles are wasted on me. Save them for your suitors. But, truly, Mr. Van Reypen is going on an errand for me, and he said that he wanted to show you _some_ little attention while he was here, and he guessed he'd let you go along with him in the cutter." "Oh, a cutter ride," and Patty began to scramble out of bed. "That sounds rather good fun. But I'd rather go with Hal." "Well, you're candid, at any rate," said Daisy. "But as it happens, Hal and I are going to practise some music this morning."