Patty soon returned, saying the country was saved, and now she was ready for her presents.

And then everybody began untying things, and soon the whole place was knee-deep in tissue papers and ribbons.

All exclaimed with delight at their own gifts, and then exclaimed with delight at the others’ gifts.

Mr. and Mrs. Kenerley gave Patty one of those Oriental garments known as a Mandarin coat. It was of pale blue silk, heavy with elaborate embroidery and gold braiding, and Patty was enchanted with it.

“Just what I wanted!” she exclaimed, “and I don’t care if that is what everybody always says, I mean it! I’ve wanted one a long time. They’re so heavenly for party wraps or opera cloaks. Mona has a beauty, but this is handsomer still.” 175

“Yes, it is,” admitted Mona; “and now open that box, Patty. It’s my gift to you, and I want to see if you like it.”

“Oh, I know I shall like it, of course. Why, Mona Galbraith, if it isn’t a lace scarf! Real Brussels point! You generous girl, it’s too beautiful!”

“Isn’t it lovely?” cried Daisy. “Now, this is mine to you, Patty. It isn’t nearly as handsome; it’s just a bag.”

“But what a grand one!” exclaimed Patty, as she unwrapped the beautiful French confection. “I simply adore bags. I can’t have too many of them. My goodness! I’m getting as many presents as baby May!”

Sure enough, Patty was surrounded with gifts and trinkets of all sorts. Philip’s present was a small but exquisite water-color in a gilded frame. Roger gave her a glass and silver flower-basket.

“I gave each of you girls exactly the same thing,” he said, “because I didn’t want you scrapping over me. Mrs. Kenerley, I included you, too, if you will accept one of them.”

They were beautiful ornaments, and the four together were so effective that Adèle declared 176 she should use them that night for a dinner table decoration at their Christmas feast.

Hal Ferris gave each of the girls a beautiful book, and everybody had so many presents of all sorts that it was almost impossible to remember who gave anything.

“What I need is a card catalogue,” said Patty. “I never can remember which is which, I know.”

“And I know another thing,” said Adèle. “If you girls don’t scamper off and dress, you won’t be ready for dinner at eight o’clock. And there are lots of guests coming. And more this evening for the country dance. Now, disperse, all of you, and put on your prettiest frocks for Christmas Eve.”

Patty had a new gown for the occasion, of an exquisite shade of pink chiffon, which just matched her cheeks. She did up her hair simply, with a pink ribbon around it, and a pink rose tucked over one ear.

After she was all dressed, she flew to the nursery for a little confab with Fr?ulein, who was working away on the Turkey red.

“Will it be done?” asked Patty, anxiously.

“Oh, yes, indeed, Miss Patty; in ample time. And the crowns, too.” 177

“Everything all right?” inquired a voice in the doorway, and Hal Ferris stepped into the nursery.

“Yes,” said Patty, her eyes sparkling. “Fr?ulein will have them all ready by the time dinner’s over. Oh, I do love to dress up!”

“You can’t look any sweeter than you do this way,” said Ferris, glancing approvingly at the little pink dancing frock.

“You are so nice and complimentary,” said Patty, flashing a smile at him, and then they went downstairs together.

Dinner was a real Christmas feast. The table was properly decorated with red ribbons and red candles and holly, and everybody had souvenirs and Christmassy sort of trinkets, and everybody was very gay and festive, and an air of Christmas jollity pervaded the atmosphere.

After dinner they all returned to the great hall, where the Christmas tree was again lighted to add to the holiday effect.

Then Patty and Hal, who had let Adèle into their secret, slipped away from the crowd, and ran up to the nursery, where Fr?ulein was awaiting them.

The baby was asleep in the next room, so they must needs be careful not to awaken her, and 178 they tiptoed about as Fr?ulein helped them to don the robes she had made.

The Turkey red she had fashioned into a full-draped cloak, which she adjusted around Hal’s broad shoulders. It was trimmed with white fur, and was caught up on one shoulder, toga fashion, with a spray of holly. A massive gilt pasteboard crown she put on his head, and gave him a long wand or sceptre covered with gilt paper and topped with a cap and bells.

“I wonder if they’ll know I’m Lord of Misrule,” whispered Hal, as he stalked up and down before the mirror, swishing his draperies about in regal fashion.

“If they don’t, I’ll tell ’em,” said Patty. “I wonder if they’ll know what I am.”

“You look like an angel,” said Hal, as he gazed at her.

The garment Fr?ulein had made for Patty was simply straight, flowing breadths of the white illusion, which fell straight from her shoulders, her pink gown beneath giving it a faint rosy tinge. From her head the illusion rippled in a long veil, floating down behind, and there were long angel sleeves of the same material.

On her head was a small crown of gilt paper, 179 with a large gilt star in front, and she carried a gilt wand with a star on the end.

But the masterpiece of the costume, and one that did great credit to the ingenuity of Fr?ulein, was a pair of wings that were fastened to Patty’s shoulders. They were made of fine net, covered with fringed tissue paper, which had the effect of soft white feathers.

Altogether Patty was a lovely vision, and it is doubtful if “The Christmas Spirit” was represented more beautifully anywhere on earth that Christmas Eve.

She floated about the room, delighted to be “dressed up.”

Then, flying into the hall, she listened over the banister till she heard Adèle’s signal from the piano.

Still listening, she heard Adèle begin to sing softly a carol called “The Christmas Spirit.”

Slowly, in time to the music, Patty came down the great staircase. She paused on the landing, which was but a few steps from the bottom, and standing there, motionless as a picture, joined her voice to Adèle’s.

She sang the beautiful carol, Adèle now singing alto, and the vision of the beautiful Christmas Spirit, and the tones of Patty’s exquisite 180 voice, gave the guests assembled in the hall a Christmas memory that they could never forget.

As the last notes died away, there was a significant pause, and then a storm of applause broke out.

They insisted on another song, but Patty shook her head laughingly, and the next moment Adèle played a merry, rollicking march on the piano and the Lord of Misrule came bounding downstairs. He had a long trumpet in his hand, upon which he sounded a few notes, and then waved his sceptre majestically.

“I’m the Lord of Misrule,” he announced, “and I have come to direct our Christmas revels. To-night my word is law; you are all my subjects, and must obey my decrees!”

A shout of applause greeted this gay banter, and then as Adèle played a lively strain, the Lord of Misrule gave a clever clog dance on the staircase landing.

Then he sprang down the steps, and clasping the Christmas Spirit, the two tripped away into a gay impromptu dance.

“Everybody dance!” shouted the Lord of Misrule, brandishing his sceptre aloft, and obedient to his orders, the others caught the gay spirit, and soon they were all dancing. 181

Later they had the country dances—Virginia reel, Sir Roger, and others which Patty had never heard of before, but which she had no difficulty in learning.

It was not long, however, before she laid aside her somewhat uncomfortable wings, and also the illusion draperies, which did not well survive the intricacies of the figure dances.

So, once again in her pretty pink frock, she entered into the dances with the zest she always felt for that amusement.

“I think it’s my turn,” said Roger, coming up to her at last.

“And I’m glad to be with a friend again, after all these strangers,” she said, as they danced away. “Though they’re awfully nice men, and some of them are very good dancers. You and Mona are all right, aren’t you, Roger?”

Patty said this so suddenly that he was caught off his guard.

“Not all right,” he said, “and never will be until she’ll consent to cut the acquaintance of that Lansing!”

“She’ll never do that!” and Patty wagged her head positively.

“Then she can get along without my friendship.” 182

“Now, Roger, what’s the use of acting like that? Mona has a right to choose her friends.”

“Patty, I believe you like that man yourself!”

“I don’t dislike him; at least, not as much as you do. But I don’t see any reason for you to take the matter so seriously. At any rate, while you’re up here, forget it, won’t you, and be good to Mona.”

“Oh, I’ll be good to her fast enough, if she’ll be good to me. I think a heap of that girl, Patty, and I don’t want to see her in the clutches of a bad man like Lansing.”

“You don’t know that he’s a bad man.”

“Well, he’s a fortune-hunter,—that’s bad enough.”

“Pooh, every man that looks at a girl doesn’t want to marry her for her money.”

“But that man does.”

“Then cut him out! Why, Roger, you’re worth a dozen Lansings, and if you want to marry Mona, why don’t you tell her so?”

“Oh, Patty, do you think I’d have the ghost of a chance?”

“I certainly do. That is, if Mona has a ............