e? And I
haven't been there for years, so they'll be glad to see us."

"To see you, you mean. They don't know me, so how can they be glad to see
me?"

"Oh, you must,--what is your idiotic American phrase? You must 'make
good'!"

"I will," said Patty, laughing to hear the phrase from an Englishwoman,
and then she ran away to her own apartment, to talk over affairs with
Nan.

"It's a great piece of good fortune," said Nan, "that you're such good
friends with Lady Hamilton, for Fred and I couldn't take you with us, and
what would have become of you?"

"Oh, I always land on my feet," returned Patty, "I must have been born
under a lucky star."

"I believe you were, Pattykins."

"And won't I have the time of my life at Herenden Hall----"

"Oh, Patty, Patty, you must stop using slang. They'll never ask you to
Herenden Hall again if you behave like a wild Indian."

"But you see, Stepmother, they look upon me as an infant anyhow, so I may
as well have some fun."

"But don't be a hoyden, and do remember that American slang isn't admired
over here."

"Yas'm; I'll be good. And I'll say 'Really?' and 'Only fancy!' till
they'll think I'm the daughter of a hundred Earls."

"I'm not at all worried about your manners," said Nan, serenely. "You
usually behave pretty well, but you will talk American instead of
English."

"Well, I'll try to make myself understood, at all events. And you're
going to have a lovely time, too, aren't you? Isn't it fun! I do like to
have all my friends as happy as I am. I suppose you and father will be
like two young turtle-doves off on your honeymoon trip."

"Oh, we're always that, even when there's a great, big girl like you
around to make us seem old."

"Well, if you behave as well as you look, I won't be ashamed of you."
Patty gazed critically at Nan, and then added, "Though your nose does
seem to turn up more than it used to."

Whereupon Nan threw a sofa-pillow at her, which Patty caught and stuffed
behind her own curly head.

The Saturday of their departure was a beautiful, bright day, and it was
about noon when Patty and Lady Hamilton, accompanied by the latter's
maid, took the train from Victoria Station.

It was a long ride to their destination in Kent, and not an especially
interesting one, but Patty, in the companionship of her dear friend, was
entirely happy. They chatted gaily as the train rolled from one English
town to another. At Robertsbridge they had to change to a fun