“Far be it from me to make fun of anything so charming,” returned Cameron.  “Come along, Captive Princess, dinner is waiting.”  He tucked Patty’s hand in his arm, and as they walked to the dining-room, he murmured:  “You really are a Captive Princess now, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am; and if you’re my Knight, aren’t you going to deliver me from durance vile?”

“Of course I am.  I will be under your window at midnight with a rope ladder and a white palfrey.”

“Well, if I’m awake I’ll come down the ladder; but if not, don’t expect me.”

“But if you want to be rescued, you must take the opportunity when it offers.”

“Oh, I’m not so sure I want to be rescued.  I’m ready now to make the best of things and I’m planning to have a real good time while we stay here.”

“Nice little Captive Princess!  Nice little Princess Poppycheek!  And am I included in these good times?”

“Yes, indeed.  It will take the four of us; and Mrs. Perry, whenever we can get her, to have the good times I’m planning.”

All through dinner time Patty was her own gay, merry self.  Babette was not mentioned, nor the fact that they were staying in Eastchester, under compulsion, and it might have been just a happy party invited there for pleasure.

Mr. Perry’s absence was, of course, painfully noticeable.  But Patty knew that Mrs. Peny had telephoned him all about the case, and she made no comment.  She was determined that she would not be responsible for any allusion to their trouble.

After dinner Patty informed them all that a musicale would take place.  Everybody agreed to this, and all joined in singing gay choruses and glees.  Patty sang solos, and Kit and Marie played duets.  Then Patty sang to a violin obligato, and altogether the concert was a real success.

“We ought to go on the road,” said Kit, as he laid down his violin at last.  “I think as a musical troupe we’d be a screaming success.  Now, who’s for a little dance to wind up with?”

“Do dance,” said Mrs. Perry; “I’ll play for you.”

“Just one, then,” said Patty, “for this is a rest-cure, you know; and I’m going to bed very early.  Six weeks in the country is going to do wonders for me.”

Though four weeks had been the extreme possibility of their stay, Patty whimsically kept calling it six weeks or eight weeks, because, as she said, that made four weeks seem less.

Cameron turned to Patty, as his sister began to play, and in a moment they were dancing.

“If we dance every night for twelve weeks,” said Patty, “we ought to do fairly well together.”

“When I think of that, I’m entirely reconciled to staying here,” returned Kit.  “Poppycheek, you are a wonderful dancer!  You’re like a butterfly skimming over a cobweb!”

“I don’t dance a bit better than you do.  You’re almost like a professional, except that you’re more graceful than they are.”