“Probably not. But what, then?”
“Oh, dear, I don’t know. What good are you, Chick, if you can’t suggest something? I’m worn out pondering on the subject.”
“Well, if it’s as bad as that, I must invent something. Let me see. Oh, by the way, are you going to the Meredith tea this afternoon?”
“I meant to go, till you trumped up this plan, which, if you’ll excuse me, is the biggest wild-goose chase I ever saw!”
“Not unless you’re the wild goose. I assure you I’m not. And to prove it, here’s a plan. Let’s go to the tea, and take this little exhibit. There will be hundreds of people there, and you can auction her off easily enough.”
“Chick! What a crazy idea! It would never do!”
“Why not?”
“Well, first, Mrs. Meredith would be highly indignant at such a performance.”
“Not she! You know very well, Patty, she’s a climber; and she’s most anxious to know you better, and count you as her friend. Oh, I know all this inside information, I do! So, if you do something a bit eccentric, perhaps, but pretty and effective it will give her tea a certain prestige, a unique interest that will tickle her to death.”
Patty considered. “It might work,” she said, thinking hard; “but I’ll have to go back and dress.”