w.

But always, at the end of every other subject, they returned to the
great matter in hand--Patricia's enrolment as a singing student under
Madame Tancredi and her establishment at Artemis Lodge.

"I'm scared stiff at the thought of paying such a fortune for the
lessons," Patricia said ruefully. "Think of spending all that money for
one little half hour! And three lessons a week, too. Don't you think I
might do with less, Norn? I can make it up with practicing, you know."

Elinor shook her head and Mrs. Spicer counseled briskly, "Better stick
tight to rules, my dear. This Madame knows her business, it seems, and
if your operatic friend, says three, it must be as she commands. Thank
goodness, she didn't tell you to spend every afternoon there."

"Well, then, the only thing for me to do is to get a very cheap room,"
said Patricia decisively. "For I am just determined not to be sponging
on you and Bruce if I can help it."

Elinor was about to protest, but Mrs. Spicer with nods and head-shakes
signaled her to desist.

"That's the way to talk," she said heartily. "You'll enjoy every scrap
of progress that you make. We've got to pay for everything in this life
one way or another and it saves a lot trouble to begin square."

"Oh, I'm so glad you see it," cried Patricia. "I simply couldn't take
money for mere _indulgences_, even though I might for real hard study. I
can be just as happy in a little room as a big one, and I'll have this
lovely place to come to when I'm hankering after space, anyway."

It was settled, after a careful consultation of the little book which
Patricia called her "Incomings and Outgoings" that, since the lessons
took almost every cent of the modest income which Ted generously
insisted on sharing with his two younger sisters for the winter months,
Patricia was to accept the rent of her room at Artemis Lodge as a gift
from Bruce and Elinor and to keep the remnant of her own money for
current expenses.

"I'll be a perfect miser and that will help me to stay at home and
practice all the more," laughed Patricia as she settled down to the
posing again. "I do hope Artemis Lodge isn't a very top-lofty place,
with lots of maids to tip and a hundred ways of grabbing at my little
pile."

"You'll find out all its pitfalls _after_ you get there," said Mrs. Nat
with a grimness born of experience. "Don't look for too much. It isn't
human nature to be perfect. Besides, it ain't religious. If this good
ol