"Oh!" thought Patty, almost disgusted at this foolishness, "she is the limit!" But Nan appreciated more truly the real state of the case, and knew that Christine had borne just about all she could, and that owing to physical fatigue and mental strain her nerves were just about ready to give way. "How do you do, Kenneth?" said Nan, airily. "Too bad you didn't come earlier. I am just taking our little guest away from this admiring crowd, who are tiring her all out with their admiration. She may just say 'howdy' to you, and then I'm going to carry her off. Miss Farley, this is our Kenneth--Mr. Harper." Stimulated by Nan's support and by the sudden chance for release, Christine managed to acknowledge the introduction prettily enough, and then gladly let Nan take her upstairs to bed. "I'm sorry I'm so horrid," said the girl, as Nan helped her take off her gown. "Nonsense!" replied Nan, cheerily. "You weren't horrid a bit. You looked lovely and behaved like a little lady. Your nerves are overwrought, and I don't wonder. Just tumble into bed, dearie, and forget everything in all the world, except that you're among warm friends." Nan had most comforting ways, and soon Christine forgot her troubles in a happy sleep. Meantime, Kenneth was admiring her sketches. "Whew!" he said, "she's a genius all right. But such a shy little mouse never can succeed as an artist." "Yes, she will!" declared Patty. "Her shyness will wear off in New York. I'm going to eradicate it from her make-up somehow, and then we're going to make a famous artist of her." "You can be a great help to her, Patty," said Mr. Hepworth. "If any one makes Christine think she can do things, she can do them." "Yes, I see that already," agreed Patty, "and I'm going to be the one to make her think she can do them." "Huh!" teased Kenneth. "You think you can make anybody think they think anything!" "Sure!" said Patty, complacently. "Well, don't teach Miss Farley to talk slang," said Mr. Fairfield, laughing, "for it would be too incongruous with that Madonna face of hers." "She is like a Madonna, isn't she?" said Patty, thoughtfully. "I've been trying to think what her face reminded me of." "Yes, she is," said Mr. Hepworth, "and as I feel pretty sure you can't teach her to use slang, why don't you take this occasion to discontinue the use of it yourself?" "Can't do it," returned Patty. "There are times in my mad career when nothing expresses what I want to say so well as a mild bit of slang. I never say anything very dreadful." "Of course you don't," declared Kenneth, who loved to take Patty's part against Mr. Hepworth. "Why, you wouldn't be 'Our Patty' if you used only dictionary English. All the slang Miss Farley gets from you will do her good rather than harm. She needs it in her make-up." "I agree with the spirit of that, if not the letter," said Mr. Hepworth, kindly; and Patty said: "Yes, she needs to be jollied; and, you take it from me, she's going to get jollied!"