“Now, I’ll tell you what, Mrs. O’Brien,” she went on, “you let me be your friend; trust to me, and I’ll see that no harm comes to you.  If you’ll cook this dinner to-night, I’ll promise to send you home safely to-morrow morning, and Miss Galbraith will pay you well beside.  Susan Hastings will be with you as a helper, and—­and if you only make your mind up to it, you can have a real good time!”

Patty felt that she ended her speech rather lamely, but her eloquence had given out.  And the sound of Bill’s chuckles, behind her, made it difficult not to laugh herself.

But either Patty’s friendliness or fear of Bill’s ferocity seemed to conquer Mrs. O’Brien’s rebellious spirit, and she sat calmly in her place, though making no further observations.

Nor could Farnsworth and Patty converse, for as Bill sat behind, and they were flying rapidly along, speech was inconvenient if not impossible.

Farnsworth kept a sharp eye on his captive; though he knew she could not escape now, he wasn’t sure what strange turn her temper might take.  But Patty felt sure that if she could once get the cook into the kitchen at “Red Chimneys,” and under the influence of Susan’s common sense and powers of persuasion, all would be well.  She drove round to the kitchen entrance, and as she stopped the car, Farnsworth jumped down to assist their passenger out.

Uncertain just how to show her unwillingness to do their bidding, Mrs. O’Brien sat still and refused to move.  Whereupon, Patty jumped down and ran into the kitchen.

“Susan,” she cried, “here’s the cook!  Come out and make her behave herself!”

Susan followed Patty out, and saw the new arrival.

“Is it yersilf, Ann O’Brien?” she cried, joyfully.  “Come on in, now.”

“I’ll not come!  These vilyans kidnapped me, and I’ll cook no dinner fer the likes o’ thim!”

“Arrah now, it’s yersilf is the vilyan!  Ye ought to be proud to be kidnapped by Miss Patty, and Misther Bill!  Get down here, ye gossoon, an’ behave like a dacint woman!”

Susan’s authoritative voice, and Farnsworth’s apparent readiness to assist her, if she delayed, persuaded Mrs. O’Brien to leave the car.  She went into the kitchen with Susan, and Patty turned a beaming face to Bill.

“It’s all right now,” she said.  “Susan will bring her around.  But, oh, Billee, how did you dare to do such a thing?”

“I’d dare anything to get you what you want.  And you said you wanted that particular cook.  So I got her.”

“But you’ll be arrested for kidnapping!”

“Oh, I think not.  I’ll telephone over to that second-rate gardener, and I fancy I can make it all right.”

Then Bill and Patty sauntered round the house to the veranda.

“Where’s your cook?” cried Mona.

“In the kitchen, where she belongs,” replied Patty.  “Do you want her here?”

“No, but how did you get one?”