“No; but I can fancy you married to a millionaire with two or three country houses and yachts and all sorts of things.”

“Good gracious, Mona.  I don’t aspire to all that!  Just because YOU’re a millionairess, yourself, you needn’t think everybody else longs for untold wealth.  After I get pretty well along in years,—­I think I shall marry a college professor, or a great scientist.  I do love brainy men.”

“Well, there are no brainy men in our set.”

“Oh, Mona, what a libel!  Our boys,—­somehow I never can think of them as men,—­are quite brainy enough for their age.  And at the present day, I’d rather have fun with Ken or Roger, just talking foolishness, than to discourse with this wise professor I’m talking about.  But of course, I wouldn’t marry Ken or Roger even if they wanted me to, which they don’t.”

“Oh, yes, they do, Patty; everybody wants to marry you.”

“Don’t be a goose, Mona; you know perfectly well that Roger is over head and ears in love with you.  Of course, I’m mortally jealous, for he was my friend first, and you stole him away from me.  But I’ll forgive you if you’ll let up on this foolish subject and talk about something interesting.”

“I will, Patty, if you’ll tell me one thing.  Don’t you like Mr. Van Reypen very much?”

“Phil Van Reypen?  Of course I do!  I adore him,—­I worship the ground he walks on!  I think he’s the dearest, sweetest chap I ever knew!”

“Would you marry him?”

“Not on your life!  Excuse my French, Mona, but you do make me tired!  Now will you be good?  We’re nearly home and I had a lot of things I wanted to ask you, and here you’ve been and went and gone and wasted all our time!  Foolish girl!  Here we are at my house, and I thank you, kind lady, for bringing me safely home.  If you’ll let your statuesque footman see me in at my own door, I’ll promise to dream of you all night.”

The girls exchanged affectionate good-nights, and Patty ran up the steps and Louise let her in.

“Nobody home?” asked Patty, noting the dim lights in the rooms.

“No, Miss Patty,” answered Louise, “Mr. and Mrs. Fairfield are not in yet.”

“Well, I’m not a bit sleepy, Louise, and I’m not going to bed now.  I shall stay in the library for awhile,—­perhaps until they come home.”

Louise took Patty’s wraps and went away, and Patty wandered around the library selecting a book to read.  The girl was a light sleeper, and she often liked to read a while before retiring.

But after she had selected a book and arranged a cosy corner in a big easy-chair by a reading light, she still sat idle, with her book unopened.

“I don’t feel a bit like reading,” she thought to herself; “I do hate to come home from a party so early.  Of course I could write some letters, but I don’t feel like that, either.  I feel like doing something frisky.”

She jumped up and turned on more lights.  Then, chancing to see herself in the long mirror, she bowed profoundly to the pretty reflected figure, saying:  “Good-evening, Miss Fairfield, how well you’re looking this evening.  Won’t you sing a little for us?”