“Yes, you might ask her,” said Mr. Fairfield, “and she can bring the children down, but she probably will not stay as long as they do.”

So Patty wrote for her aunt and cousins, and the first day of July they arrived.

Mrs. St. Clair, who was Patty’s aunt only by marriage, was a very fashionable woman of a pretty, but somewhat artificial, type.  She liked young people, and had spared no pains to make Patty’s visit to her a happy one.  But it was quite evident that she expected Patty to return her hospitality in kind, and she had been at Boxley Hall but a few hours before she began to inquire what plans Patty had made for her entertainment.

Now, though Patty had thought out several little pleasures for her cousins, it hadn’t occurred to her that Aunt Isabel would expect parties made for her.

She evaded her aunt’s questions, however, and waited for an opportunity to speak alone with her father about it.

“Why, papa,” she exclaimed that evening after their guests had gone to their rooms, “Aunt Isabel expects me to have a tea or reception or something for her.”

“Nonsense, child, she can’t think of such a thing.”

“Yes, she does, papa, and what’s more, I want to do it.  She was very kind to me and I’d rather please her than Ethelyn.  I don’t care much for Ethelyn anyway.”

“She isn’t just your kind, is she, my girl?”

“No, she isn’t like Marian nor any of the club girls.  She has her head full of fashions, and beaux, and grown-up things of all sorts.  She is just my age, but you’d think she was about twenty, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes, she does look almost as old as that, and she acts quite as old.  Reginald is a nice boy.”

“Yes, but he’s pompous and stuck-up.  He always did put on grand airs.  Aunt Isabel does, too, but she’s so kind-hearted and generous nobody can help liking her.”

“Well, have a party for her if you want to, chicken.  But don’t take the responsibility of it entirely on yourself.  I should think you might make it a pretty little afternoon tea.  Get Aunt Alice to make out the invitation list; she knows better than you what ladies to invite, and then let Pacetti send up whatever you want for the feast.  I’ve no doubt Pansy will be willing to attend to the floral decoration of the house.”

“I’ve no doubt she will,” said Patty, laughing.  “The trouble will be to stop her before she turns the whole place into a horticultural exhibit.”

“Well, go ahead with it, Patty.  I think it will please your aunt very much, but don’t wear yourself out over it.”

Next morning at breakfast Patty announced her plan for an afternoon tea, and Aunt Isabel was delighted.

“You dear child,” she exclaimed, “how sweet of you!  I hate to have you go to any trouble on my account, but I shall be so pleased to meet the Vernondale ladies.  I want to know what kind of people my niece is growing up among.”