ham; "but th' divvle is in 'em all. Go 'long wid ye'er ride,
Missus Gorham, an' lave her ter me. 'Tis th' firm hand I'll be afther
showin' her, but th' tinder wan, like I done wid her fa-ather forty year
ago. Ye lave her ter me, ma'm."

So the motor-party set out with one member of it uncertain of what might
happen during her absence; but there was no uncertainty in Patricia's
mind. She watched the departure of the car from the window, and then
slammed the door, knowing well that the noise would arouse all sorts of
apprehensions in Riley's soul. A vigorous knock soon rewarded her
efforts.

"Come in," she called, innocently.

Riley stood in the doorway, with a hand resting on each hip, astonished
into silence by the peaceful scene before him. Patricia was seated in
the middle of the bed, completely surrounded with pillows, and fanning
herself nonchalantly.

"Phwat made ye slam th' dure?" he demanded.

"Did it slam?" she asked. "It must have been the draught. There's an
awful draught around this apartment--haven't you noticed it, Riley?"

"I haven't noticed nuthin' excep' that ye are a bad little gurl."

"It's the 'divvle' in me--coming out, isn't it, Riley? That's what you
told mamma Eleanor, and you ought to know."

"Shure, I ought ter know, an' I do know."

"I thought you did." Patricia smiled sweetly. "But if a person has the
'divvle' in him, it is much better to let it get out."

"'Twud take more room than there is here ter let it all out iv ye,"
retorted the irate Riley.

"You are no gentleman, Mr. Riley, to speak to a lady like that," she
said, severely. "You may go now."

"Will ye be th' good gurl if I lave ye by yersel'?"

"How do I know if it's all out of me?"

"Shure, it oughter be," he declared, in despair. "Will ye thry?"

"Certainly, _I'll_ try." Patricia was demureness itself. "If anything
happens, it will be the 'divvle's' fault, so you mustn't hold me
responsible."

"It's ye'er own divvle, ain't it?--ye can make it do what ye want."

"_I_ don't know," protested Patricia. "I didn't even know I had a
'divvle.' It was you who discovered it; and people who discover things
have to be responsible for them, don't they?"

Riley shook his head in desperation. His arguments were exhausted, and
all that was left to him was retreat.

"I wuddent be that child's gov'ness f'r all th' money in th' world," he
muttered, as he shuffled through the hall. "An' ter think they lift her
home fr'm ch'ice.