"They look morbid," said Roger. "Shall I jolly them up a bit?" "Let's give them tea," said Elise, tilting her spoon until a few drops fell into the water. "You'll make them nervous," warned Patty, "and Juliet is high-strung, anyway." Then Nan came in from her afternoon's round of calls, and then Mr. Fairfield arrived, and they too were called upon to make friends with Darby and Juliet. "Goldfish always make me think of a story about Whistler," said Mr. Fairfield. "It seems, Whistler once had a room in a house in Florence, directly over a person who had some pet goldfish in a bowl. Every pleasant day the bowl was set out on the balcony, which was exactly beneath Whistler's balcony. For days he resisted the temptation to fish for them with a bent pin and a string; but at last he succumbed to his angling instincts, and caught them all. Then, remorseful at what he had done, he fried them to a fine golden brown, and returned them to their owner on a platter." "Ugh!" cried Nan, "what a horrid story! Why do they always tack unpleasant stories on poor old Whistler? Now, I know a lovely story about a goldfish, which I will relate. It is said to be the composition of a small Boston schoolchild. "'Oh, Robin, lovely goldfish! Who teached you how to fly? Who sticked the fur upon your breast? 'Twas God, 'twas God what done it.' Isn't that lovely?" "It is, indeed," agreed Kenneth. "If that's Boston precocity, it's more attractive than I thought." "But it doesn't rhyme," said Elise. "No," said Patty; "that's the beauty of it. It's blank verse, as the greatest poetry often is. Don't go yet, Elise. Stay to dinner, can't you?" "No, I can't stay to-night, Patty, dear. Will you go skating to-morrow?" Patty hesitated. She wanted to go, but also she wanted to get at that "occupation" of hers, for she had a new one in view. She was about to say she would go skating, however, when she saw a twinkle in her father's eye that made her change her mind. "Can't, Elise," she said. "I've an engagement to-morrow. Will telephone you some day when I can go." "Well, don't wait too long; the ice will be all gone." Then the young people went away, and Patty went thoughtfully upstairs to her room to dress for dinner. CHAPTER XI A BUSY MORNING The next morning, Patty came down to breakfast, wearing a plain street costume, a small, but very well made hat, and a look of determination. "Fresh start?" said her father, smiling kindly at her. "Yes," she replied; "and this time I conquer. I see success already perching on my banners." "Well, I don't then!" declared Nan. "I see you coming home, not with your shield, but on it." "Now, don't be a wet blanket and throw cold water on my plans," said Patty, a little mixed in her metaphor, but smiling placidly at her stepmother. "This time it's really a most sensible undertaking that I'm going to undertake."