her Miss Pat--'tis th' Irish persistency iv her name that
crops out, an' th' cajolery. I cudn't hilp it, nohow."

"Of course he couldn't help it." Patricia assented. "I had to see you,
and some one had to show me where you lived. But you may go now if you
want to, Riley."

"We had better come inside and talk it over--if we can get in," Allen
suggested, opening the door again, and pushing the things one side.

"Ah, Misther Allen--all ye'er clothes will be spiled, kickin' 'round
like this. Shall I fold 'em up an' put 'em in th' thrunks fer ye, sor?"

Riley was in his element again, and Allen grasped at the old man's offer
with an eagerness not assumed.

"That's just the thing," he said. "You pack the trunk, Riley, while Lady
Pat and I sit on the window-seat and have a little visit."

"Here are my things, too, Riley." Patricia handed the old man her
satchel and book. "Perhaps you'd better pack those on top."

"Why should I pack thim in Misther Allen's thrunk?" he demanded.

"Because we're going away to be married," she announced, grandly. "You
are the first one in the family to know it, and you mustn't tell."

Riley started to speak, but a signal from Allen silenced him; so he
continued his work, bringing order out of chaos so quickly that he won
instant admiration.

"Now, look here, Lady Pat," said Allen, kindly, as the child sat on her
heels in front of him on the window-seat, "we must talk this matter over
very carefully."

"Yes, Sir Launcelot," Patricia assented, expectantly.

"In the first place, I have made your father very angry with me."

"Were you a naughty boy?"

"He thinks so, and he must be right; but it wouldn't do to make him any
more angry by taking you away without his permission. You see that,
don't you?"

"But they wouldn't blame you--they'd blame me," the child persisted.
"Alice would frown at me and say 'Pa-tri-ci-a.' Papa would be severe and
say, 'I shall have to ask mamma Eleanor to punish you,' and mamma
Eleanor would look sad and say, 'Oh, my darling,' But she'd forget all
about it as soon as I kissed her."

"No; they would blame me, because I'm older--and, besides, a true knight
could never stand by and see his Lady Fair blamed, could he? The only
thing is for me to go away, and for you to go back home with Riley, and
then, later, for me to storm the castle and carry you off."

"But if you did that, you might carry off Alice instead of me," she
objected.

"That's so," Allen a