Once safely behind her locked door, Patty tore open her blue envelope. It was only a card,—but not an ordinary printed Christmas card.

In the upper corner was a spray of apple blossoms, exquisitely painted; and on the card were some verses, written in a hand that was small and fine, but unmistakably the same as the address on the outside of the envelope.

With a little sigh of pleasure, Patty cuddled up in her arm-chair to read the Christmas message.

But it proved to be not very Christmassy, after all; for this is what she read:

“MY LADY OF DELIGHT

“My Lady of Delight’s a dainty, winsome thing;

She’s Queen of Summertime, and Princess of the Spring.
244

Her lovely, smiling lips are roses set to rhyme,

She has a merry, lilting laugh, like Bluebells all a-chime.

The radiance of her smile, the sunshine in her eyes,

Is like the Dawn of breaking Day upon the summer skies.

“With roguish glances bright, all on a Summer Day,

My Lady of Delight she stole my heart away;

And though I humbly beg and plead with her, alack!

My Lady of Delight, she will not give it back.

I seem to see her now, with tangled golden curl,

With dancing eyes, and smiling lips,—My Apple Blossom Girl!

“Oh, Lady of Delight, I pray you, smile on me;

Oh, Lady of Delight, your Knight I fain would be;

Oh, Lady of Delight, you set my heart aglow.

I only know

I love you so,

Dear Lady of Delight!”

Patty read the verses over twice, with shining eyes. 245

“I wonder if he wrote them himself,” she mused. “I don’t believe he did; he must have copied them. He knows an awful lot of pretty poetry like that. And yet it doesn’t sound like a real poet’s poetry, either. And he used to call me Apple Blossom,—such a pretty name. Philip would never think of such a thing as that. I wonder if I like Little Billee better than I do Philip. I wonder if he likes me better. But of course he can’t, or he would have written to me in all this time. I haven’t seen him since August, and he never wrote a word, except the stiffest kind of a line with those flowers he sent me. I thought he’d forgotten all about me! But I can’t think so now,—unless he just came across this poem, and it recalled me to his mind. Well, I came awfully near not getting it! I don’t see how Daisy could have been so mean; I don’t like that kind of a joke a bit. But of course she thought it was just a printed card, like hers and Mona’s. Well, she’ll never know it isn’t,—that’s one thing sure!”

And then Patty tucked her card of verses under her pillow and went to sleep.

The next morning, as Patty had prophesied, she slept late. Daisy peeped into her room two 246 or three times before she finally found Patty’s blue eyes open.

“At last!” she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “I thought you’d never wake up! Patty, what do you think? I’ve been down in the library, and I can’t find that card! I’m awfully sorry, truly I am; I’ll give you mine if you want it.”

“Thank you, Daisy,” and Patty smiled at the recollection of Mona’s similar offer. “Bill’s cards seem to be a drug in the market! But you may keep yours, and also set your mind at rest about mine; for I sneaked downstairs last night in the dark, and fished it out for myself.”

“You did! Oh, Patty, weren’t you frightened to prowl around like that, late at night?”

Patty shook with laughter. “I was frightened,” she said, “when I thought I saw a mouse,—but it wasn’t a mouse, after all.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be afraid of a mouse! But you might have met a,—a burglar or something?”

“No,” and Patty still grinned. “I didn’t meet any burglar. But I got the card, Daisy, so that’s all right.”

“Was it like mine? Let me see it.”

“It wasn’t exactly like yours, and I won’t let 247 you see it. You kept it away from me, and now it’s my turn to keep it away from you. And by the way, Daisy, that was a mean thing to do, and I don’t want you to do anything like that to me again!” Patty’s sweet face showed an unusually stern expression, and her blue eyes looked straight into Daisy’s as she spoke.

“I won’t, Patty; truly, I won’t. I’m awfully sorry, but I did it on a sudden impulse.”

“I know it; and, Daisy, I want you to try not to give way to those ‘sudden impulses’ when they’re mean ones. You have enough good, generous impulses to keep you busy. Now, you mustn’t mind if your Aunt Patty lectures you a little bit, because as the teachers always say, ‘it’s for your own good.’ And if you’ll please take a chair, instead of sitting all over my feet, I’d like to have my breakfast; for I hear my pretty little Swedish Hedwig bringing it in.”

The smiling maid appeared with Patty’s breakfast tray, followed by Mona and Adèle.

“Company already!” exclaimed Patty, sitting up in bed. “Hedwig, quick, my breakfast cap,—the pink one,—and the nightingale to match.”

The maid threw the silken wrap around Patty’s shoulders, and tucked her hair into the lace-frilled cap, which was of a Dutch shape, 248 and made Patty look like the pictures of Holland’s pretty queen.

“You don’t seem hungry,” said Mona, as Patty toyed with her chocolate. “Now, I ate a most astonishing breakfast, because I forgot to eat my supper last night.”

“Well, you see,” returned Patty, dropping her lashes to hide her twinkling eyes, “I didn’t forget to eat my supper.”

The recollection of that supper in the pantry was too much for her, and she burst into laughter.

“What is the matter with you, Patty?” said Adèle. “You’re acting like a harmless lunatic! However, I’m sent to tell you to hop up and get dressed, for one of your admirers below stairs wants you to go for a sleighride with him.”

“Jim?” asked Patty, looking up with a smile.

“No; Mr. Van Reypen.”

“Oh, good gracious! I don’t care about going riding with Philip; I can see him in New York. I hoped it was Hal,—that’s why I said Jim.”

“Patty,” said her hostess, “you’re a born coquette, and always will be! But your wiles are wasted on me. Save them for your suitors. 249 But, truly, Mr. Van Reypen is going on an errand for me, and he said that he wanted to show you some little attention while he was here, and he guessed he’d let you go along with him in the cutter.”

“Oh, a cutter ride,” and Patty began to scramble out of bed. “That sounds rather good fun. But I’d rather go with Hal.”

“Well, you’re candid, at any rate,” said Daisy. “But as it happens, Hal and I are going to practise some music this morning.”

“Oh, in that case, I’ve nothing more to say.” And Patty smiled good-naturedly at Daisy. “And I suppose Mona and Roger are going somewhere to play by themselves.”

“Nothing of the sort,” said Mona. “Roger’s going back to the city this morning, and I’m going to write letters.”

“But I thought Philip was going back to the city,” said Patty, looking at Adèle.

“He’s going on the afternoon train. Go on and get dressed, Patty, and don’t waste any more time.”

“All right,” and Patty made an expeditious toilette and in little more than half an hour went downstairs equipped for her ride.

She was enveloped from head to foot in a 250 raccoon fur coat, with a jaunty hat of the same, trimmed only with a bright quill feather.

“Why do we go?” she demanded, presenting herself before Philip, who was waiting in the hall.

“To get butter and eggs,” he returned, gravely. “The Kenerley larder is entirely empty of those two very necessary ingredients.”

“But why do we go for them? Are there no servants to send?”

“Little girls shouldn’t ask questions,” and without further ceremony Philip tucked her into the waiting sleigh, sprang in beside her, and took up the lines.

“My, this is great!” exclaimed Patty, as the pair of fine horses went dashing down the drive, and the clear, keen winter air blew against her face.

“Yes; I thought the sleighride would brace you up. And, really, there seemed to be nobody to send on this errand, so I said we’d go.”

“Is it far?”

“No; only about five miles; we’ll be back for luncheon. How did you sleep, after your late supper?”

“All right,” and Patty smiled back into 251 Philip’s face. “But I wasn’t hungry for my breakfast.”

“I should say not! You ate enough last night for two little girls like you!”

“There aren’t two little girls like me!” said Patty, with twinkling eyes, and Philip exclaimed: “Indeed, there aren’t! I say, Patty, my Princess Patty, do be engaged to me, won’t you?”

“No, you ridiculous boy, I won’t! And if you say another word on the subject, I’ll be real downright mad at you!”

“Very well, I won’t. Now, see here, Princess, do you mean to go to this masquerade ball with me? For, if not, I’m not coming back here for New Year’s.”

“Why, of course, I’m going with you. Who else?”

“I don’t know, I’m sure. But there would be plenty glad to take you.”

“Pooh! I know that............