rubbish," and Patty smiled frankly into the
eyes of the man addressing her.

"Not rubbish, Miss Fairfield. Oh, what a pleasure it will be to
enlighten your ignorance! To teach the eyes of your soul to see, the
heart of your soul to beat----"

Again, it was the voice of the man that commanded her attention. The
tones of Sam Blaney's speaking voice were of such a luring, persuasive
quality that Patty felt herself agreeing and assenting to what she knew
was nonsense.

But now Van Reypen was striding toward them. Patty saw at a glance
that Phil was at the end of his rope. No more of this nonsense for him.

She was right. As Blaney's attention was diverted for a moment, Phil
said, "Patty, you're going right straight out of this. It's no place
for you! I'm ashamed to have you here. Get your wraps, and we'll go,
whether the Farringtons are ready or not. We can walk over to Pine
Laurel,--it isn't far. Come."

"I won't do it!" Patty returned, crisply. "The idea, Phil, of your
ordering me around like that! I want to stay, and I'm going to stay.
You can go, if you like; I'll come home with Roger and the girls."

"But I don't like it, Patty, and I don't like to have you here.
It's--it's----"

"Well, what is it? I think it's great fun, and I'm going to see it
out."

"Even if I ask you not to? Even if I beg you to go----"

"Even if you beg me on your bended knees! You're silly, Phil. It
can't be wrong if the Farringtons stand for it."

"It isn't exactly wrong,--not _wrong_, you know,--but, well,--it's
cheap."

"Oh, fiddlesticks! I like it. I don't mind it's being cheap, I'm
tired of expensive things and glad of a change."

"Oh, I don't mean that way," and Van Reypen looked genuinely
distressed. "I wouldn't care how poor people were, if they were----"

"Respectable?"

"No, not that, these people are respectable, of course. But,--sincere,
that's what I mean. This bunch are fakirs, they pretend to brains and
knowledge and wisdom that they don't possess."

"And I suppose you do! Have you got all the knowledge and wisdom in
the world?"

"At least I don't pretend to have the knowledge that I haven't!"

"But you pretend to have a whole lot of authority over me that you
haven't! I tell you, Phil, I'm not going to be ordered about by you!
I came to this party because I wanted to see it, and I'm going to stay
till it's over, and you can do what you like."

"All right, then," and Phil looked grave