In her present mood, Patty was simply aching for an escapade.  And she thought it would be a pretty good practical joke if she should go to Mrs. Brewster’s and pretend to be a waitress.  She would telephone Adele what she was up to, and they would send another car for her that evening.  Perhaps if she had thought another moment she wouldn’t have done it, but on the impulse she said.  “I’d love to get double wages, sir, and I will go to your sister’s, but what about Mrs. Hemingway’s car?”

“I will take you over to my sister’s first,—­it’s only a short jump, and then I’ll come back and see about this car.”

So Patty got out of her own car and into Bob Peyton’s, and in a moment they were spinning along toward the red chimneys.

The young man said not a word on the way, and Patty’s spirits fell as she began to think she had undertaken a foolish prank, with no fun in it.  But she realised that in her role of waitress she could not expect the young man of the house to talk to her, so she sat demurely silent, trying to look as much like a waitress as possible, and succeeding not at all.

On reaching the house, which proved to be a large and elaborate affair, Mr. Peyton drove around to a side door.  He ushered Patty into a small waiting-room, and went in search of his sister.  Patty heard much gay laughter from the drawing-rooms, and suddenly felt that her joke was not as funny as she had expected.  But she determined to carry it a little further and see what might happen.

A charming young woman soon came to her, and said with a pleasant smile, “Is this Suzette?”

“Yes, madame,” and Patty’s manner was quite all that was to be desired in a waitress.

“I am Mrs. Brewster.  My brother has told me the circumstances of his finding you.  I am not sure that I’m doing right in taking you away from your present employer, but I’m going to be selfish enough to ask you to help me out for a short time, anyway.  I have guests for dinner, and my waitress has gone.  My guests are really important people and I was at my wits’ end how to manage, until you appeared.  If you will only stay and wait on my table at dinner, I will let you do as you choose afterwards,—­return to Mrs. Hemingway or remain with me.”

The plan seemed to promise some fun to Patty.  She would privately telephone Adele, who would tell Jim.  It was to be a joke on the rest of them, especially Kit who had said Patty could never fool him.  And ever since the Belle Harcourt joke, which had not fooled Kit after all, she wanted to try again.  She would make Adele pretend she thought Patty was lost, and both Kit and Philip would be greatly alarmed.

“I will stay for dinner, madame,” she said, at last, “and afterward we can decide.  You may not like my work.”

“I’m sure I shall; you seem capable, and my brother tells me you are experienced.  I fear though, your gown is a little,—­a little—­”