Patty didn't exactly understand the attitude of her hostess. If she were going home soon, Patty wanted to know it; and one day she laughingly said so.
"I suppose," said Mrs. Farrington, looking at her quizzically, "it's not unnatural that you should want to know when you're going to see your native land again; but truly, Patty, I cannot tell you. I'll promise you this, though: to-morrow you'll know more about it than you do to-day."
Patty was mystified at this, for Mrs. Farrington's tone was even more enigmatical than her words.
"And wait a minute, girls," said Mrs. Farrington, as they were about to go to their rooms to dress for dinner; "put on your pretty new dresses to-night, will you?"
"Why, mother?" said Elise in astonishment; "those are company gowns, and there's no company here!"
"No, there's no company here, but put them on, as I tell you. I want to see how they look."
"I don't see what's the matter with mother," said Elise, as they went upstairs; "she's been restless and fidgety all day. And now the idea of telling us to put on those new frocks!"
"I just as lieve do it," said Patty; "they're awfully pretty ones, and
I want to see how they look myself."
When the girls went downstairs they found Mrs. Farrington already in the drawing-room.
She herself wore a more elaborate toilette than usual, and there seemed to be an extra abundance of flowers and lights.