At last he said: 

“Look here, you’re a curious child, but a nervy one.  How’d you like to see if you can get the Key?  If you do we’ll go to a hotel and have a real meal, and we can talk about your Career.”

Although quivering with Terror, I consented.  How could I do otherwise, with such a prospect?  For now I began to see that all other Emotions previously felt were as nothing to this one.  I confess, without shame, that I felt the stiring of the Tender Passion in my breast.  Ah me, that it should have died ere it had hardly lived!

“Where is the key?” I asked, in a wrapt but anxious tone.

He thought a while.

“Generaly,” he said, “it hangs on a nail at the back entry.  But the chances are that Patten took it up to his room this time, for safety, You’d know it if you saw it.  It has some buttons off sombody’s batheing suit tied to it.”

Here it was necessary to hide again, as father came stocking out, calling me in an angry tone.  But shortly afterwards I was on my way to the Patten’s house, on shaking Knees.  It was by now twilight, that beautiful period of Romanse, although the dinner hour also.  Through the dusk I sped, toward what?  I knew not.

The Pattens and the one-peace lady were at dinner, and having a very good time, in spite of having locked a Guest in the bath-house.  Being used to servants and prowling around, since at one time when younger I had a habit of taking things from the pantrey, I was quickly able to see that the Key was not in the entry.  I therfore went around to the front Door and went in, being prepared, if discovered, to say that somone was in their bath-house and they ought to know it.  But I was not heard among their sounds of revelry, and was able to proceed upstairs, which I did.

But not having asked which was Mr. Patten’s room, I was at a loss and almost discovered by a maid who was turning down the beds—­much to early, also, and not allowed in the best houses until nine-thirty, since otherwise the rooms look undressed and informle.

I had but Time to duck into another chamber, and from there to a closet.

I remained in that closet all night.

I will explain.  No sooner had the maid gone than a Woman came into the room and closed the door.  I heard her moving around and I suddenly felt that she was going to bed, and might get her robe de nuit out of the closet.  I was petrafied.  But it seems, while she really was undressing at that early hour, the maid had laid her night clothes out, and I was saved.

Very soon a knock came to the door, and somhody came in, like Mrs. Patten’s voice and said:  “You’re not going to bed, surely!”

“I’m going to pretend to have a sick headache,” said the other Person, and I knew it was the One-peace Lady.  “He’s going to come back in a frenzey, and he’ll take it out on me, unless I’m prepared.”