's Pines."

"_Soit!_" said Patty, which sounded like slang for a slap, but I
happened to remember it was French for something or other. (I asked Mrs.
Sam later, and she thought it meant "So be it.") "_Soit!_ Now go this
instant and make everything perfectly right for Mr Storm, because here
he comes, and if any one is rude, _nothing_ I have said counts."

I bounded away from her, as if she'd shot me out of a gun, and crossed
the room to meet Storm. It was the first time I had ever been cordial,
and he let me see he was surprised. Such was his manner that it was all
I could do to keep up the show of friendliness, but I knew Patty was in
a mood to come down on me like a thousand of brick if the least detail
went wrong. My only fear was that Mrs. Sam might have said something to
somebody prematurely; but apparently she hadn't. I explained to Storm I
must definitely introduce him as my guest, because all the other names
had been mentioned, and not his. You could have knocked me down with a
feather when he said, "Oh, I'm not _your_ guest. I'm here on the
invitation of Mr. James Strickland of New York, and Huntington, Long
Island, who is one of the oldest members of this club, as I dare say you
know. But he doesn't come to the dances."

For a minute I was weak in the knees. I saw all my work destroyed. But
when I'd got my second wind I realized that nothing was changed. Patty
would never tell Storm that she'd engaged herself to me to save him from
being turned out of the Piping Rock Club. She'd be too proud for such a
confession, and, besides, she'd hate to upset his feelings to that
extent. When she's not in a temper she's almost absurdly kind, and when
she _is_ in a temper, it generally seems to be with me. But I shall
change that, later. There was still danger, however, from Mrs. Sam. I
had warned her to pull Storm off his perch; now I must warn her to leave
him on it, or Patty's promise wouldn't stand. I let Storm go, even
though I knew he was going straight to _her_. She was engaged to marry
me, and I could trust her--as far as I could see her anyhow!

Presently Mrs. Sam floated in with a suite consisting of one husband,
one daughter, and several satellites of both sexes. She had on the most
expensive dress in the room, I should judge, and her hair was done in a
way which nobody could help noticing on account of the diamond
sign-posts; consequently she was in a good humour. I paid her
compliments, and then pretended su