"Oh, it isn't finished yet; these other trimmings I want to put in place
while the hat is on your head."

"Oh," said Mrs. Van Reypen, only half-convinced.

But she sat down again, and Patty replaced the hat, and then adjusted the
roses and the buckle, giving the whole a dainty, pretty effect, which
though over-youthful, perhaps, was really very becoming to the
fine-looking old lady.

"Charming!" she exclaimed, letting her recent display of bad temper go
without apology. "I felt sure you could do it. This afternoon we will go
out to the shops and buy some materials, and you shall make me another
hat."

They did so, and, though it meant an afternoon of rather strenuous
shopping, Patty didn't mind it much, for Mrs. Van Reypen couldn't fly
into a rage in the presence of the salespeople.

And so the days dragged by. Patty had hard work to keep her own temper
when her employer was unreasonably cross and snappish, but she stuck to
her plan of flattering her, and it worked well more often than not.

Nor was she insincere. There were so many admirable qualities and traits
of Mrs. Van Reypen that she really admired, it was easy enough to tell
her so, and invariably the lady was pleased.

But she often broke out into foolish, unjustifiable rages, and then Patty
had to wait meekly until they passed over.

But when, at last, Wednesday evening had gone by, and she went to her
room, knowing it was the last night she should spend under that roof, she
was glad indeed.

"Another week of this would give me nervous prostration!" she said to
herself. "But to-morrow my week is up, and that means Success! I have
really and truly succeeded in earning my own living for a week, and I'm
glad and proud of it. I knew I should succeed, but I confess I didn't
think I'd score so many failures first. But perhaps that makes my success
all the sweeter. Anyway, I'm jolly glad I'm going home to-morrow. Wow!
but I'm homesick."

Then she tumbled into bed, and soon forgot her homesickness in a sound,
dreamless sleep.

Patty had been uncertain whether to tell Mrs. Van Reypen the true story
of her week of companionship or not; but on Thursday morning she decided
she would do so.

And, as it chanced, after breakfast Mrs. Van Reypen herself opened the
way for Patty's confidences.

"Miss Fairfield," she said, as they sat down in the library, "you know
our trial week is up to-day."

"Yes, Mrs. Van Reypen, and you remember that either of us has t