terfering!"

"Well, I don't know what you call it, if not that. But I don't mind.
Go ahead, if it amuses you. But I'm sorry if my affairs make trouble
between you and your friends. However, I don't believe Mr. Van Reypen
will stay angry at you very long. And as for Roger,--well, I wouldn't
worry about him. Of course, you're going to Elise's dance on Tuesday
night?"

"Yes, of course. And I've no doubt I'll make up with Roger, then; but
I don't know about Philip. I doubt if he'll be there."

"I haven't the least doubt. Where you are, there will Mr. Van Reypen
be, also,--if he can possibly get an invitation."

* * * * *

Mona was right in her opinion. At Elise's dance on Tuesday night,
almost the first man Patty saw, as she entered the drawing-room, was
Philip Van Reypen. He greeted her pleasantly, but with a certain
reserve quite different from his usual eager cordiality.

"May I have a dance, Miss Fairfield?" he said, holding out his hand
for her card.

Quick-witted Patty chose just the tone that she knew would irritate
him. "Certainly, Mr. Van Reypen," she said, carelessly, and as she
handed him her card, she turned to smile at another man who was just
coming to speak to her. When Philip handed back her card, she took it
without looking at it, or at him, and handed it to Mr. Drayton,
seemingly greatly interested in what dances he might select.

Van Reypen looked at her a moment in amazement. He had intended to be
cool toward her, but the tables were turned, and she was decidedly
cool toward him.

However, his look of surprise was not lost upon Miss Patricia
Fairfield, who saw him out of the corner of her eye, even though she
was apparently engrossed with Mr. Drayton.

And then, as usual, Patty was besieged by several men at once, all
begging for dances, and her card was quickly filled.

"What _can_ I do with so many suitors?" she cried, raising her hands
in pretty bewilderment, as her card was passed from one to another.
"Don't take all the dances, please; I want to save some for my special
favourites."

"Meaning me?" said Kenneth Harper, who had just joined the group in
time to hear Patty's remark.

"You, for one," said Patty, smiling on him, "but there are seventeen
others."

"I'm two or three of the seventeen," said Roger, gaining possession of
the card. "May I have three, Patty?"

One look flashed from Roger's dark eyes to Patty's blue ones, and in
that