s
year."

It was plain that the magic names of Hayden and Milano could do nothing
in this case, and Patricia gave up hope, plunging into a dark region of
despair from which it took a hard struggle on her part to emerge
sufficiently to smile her farewells to Miss Ardsley and make her way out
with the others with an appearance at least of cheerful indifference.

On the way back she was very silent and neither Elinor nor Judith
attempted to comfort her, but when they had reached the station and Mrs.
Spicer had bought her ticket and Bruce had appeared in the nick of time
with luggage checks and other necessities of travel, her face cleared
and she turned to her old friend with more of her usual happy air.

"I'm not going to give up just for one little disappointment, Mrs. Nat,"
she whispered as she clung to her in farewell. "I'll get into Artemis
Lodge and I'll have a splendid time there, in spite of everything."

Mrs. Nat patted her cheek approvingly. "Certain sure you will, my dear,"
she responded heartily. "Something's bound to happen, once you make your
mind up to it."

Patricia watched the train pull out of the big smoky shed, with a real
hope growing in her heart.

"Something's bound to happen," she repeated determinedly, and she took
Judith's arm and skipped a couple of steps along the dim platform, much
to that young lady's horror.

"It's simply bound to happen, Judy," she said out loud, but to Judith's
puzzled questions she would give no answer save a little confident
laugh.

CHAPTER IV

TANCREDI'S TWO PUPILS

And something did actually happen. It was in the most unexpected way and
it came from a quarter that caused Patricia to believe in modern
miracles.

She had gone with some quaking to her appointment with Madame Tancredi,
and she was waiting alone in the anteroom--Elinor having left her for
some necessary shopping until the lesson should be over--when the maid
ushered in a girl in sumptuous street clothes, carrying a music roll of
extravagant design.

Patricia loved pretty clothes and pretty people, and the girl was
undeniably pretty in a dark, tropical way. She moved with graceful,
gliding steps and her face under the wide drooping velvet hat looked
amiable as well as comely.

Patricia wanted to speak to her, but was uncertain as to the propriety
of the act. The girl solved her difficulty, however, by choosing a
chair near Patricia's, and, settling easily in it with an accustomed air