Apparently Fleurette understood, for she smiled and gurgled, and seemed to look upon Elise as an old friend.

Mona admired the baby but was more interested in the house.

“Show me everything,” she begged Patty.  “I want to see it all.  Where’s your linen closet?”

“My linen closet is a room,” and Patty led them thither.  “You see, we have such a lot of rooms and,—­such a lot of linen,—­that I took this little bedroom for a linen press.  I had a carpenter put in the shelves and cupboards just as I wanted them,—­and here’s the result.”

With justifiable pride, Patty showed her linen collection.  Sheets, towels, tablecloths,—­each sort in its place, each dozen held by blue ribbon bands, that fastened with little pearl buckles.

Other shelves held lace pieces, luncheon sets, boudoir pillow-cases, table scarfs, and all the exquisite embroidered bits that are the delight of the home lover.

“Perfectly wonderful!” Elise declared; “looks just like a shop in Venice or Nice.  How do you keep them so tidy? and where did you ever get so many?”

“Oh, I’ve done quite some shopping to get our Lares and Penates together, and Bill let me get whatever I wanted in the house furnishing line.  Yes, this linen room is my joy and my pride.  See, this cupboard is all curtains.  I do love to have fresh curtains as often as I want them.”

“Well, it’s all like Fairyland,” Mona said.  “I have beautiful things, too, but they don’t look like this.  They’re all in a jumble on the shelves, and everything is hodge-podge.”

“Oh, well, you’re just as happy,” laughed Patty.  “I chance to be naturally tidy, and I just love to potter over my things, and keep them in place.  Some time I’ll show you Baby’s wardrobe.  Her little things are too dear for anything.  But now I’ll take you to your rooms.  This is yours, Elise.  I picked out this one for you, because it’s lavender,—­and I know that’s your favorite colour.”

“And the wistaria vine is looking in at the windows!” Elise noted, with joy.  “Oh, Patty, I won’t live on the porch, either, I’ll live up here.”

It was a beautiful room.  A deep seated bay-window, with latticed panes, opened into a profusion of wistaria blooms, and the fragrance filled the whole place.  The furniture was of ivory enamel and the appointments were of various harmonious shades of lavender.  A chaise-longue was well supplied with lace pillows and a nearby stand and reading-lamp hinted at the comfortable enjoyment of a tempting array of new books.

Pansies and violets were in small bowls, and on a table stood an enormous vase full of trailing branches of wistaria.

“What a picture!” and Elise stood in the middle of the floor, looking about her.  “Patty, you’re a wonder!  I don’t care if you have shoals of servants, you fixed up this room,—­I know you did.”

“Of course I did,—­with Mrs. Chase to help me.  She’s a treasure,—­she catches on to my ways so quickly.  Glad you like it, Elise, honey.  Now settle yourself here,—­your bags will be up in a minute,—­and I’ll put Mona in her niche.”