“Yes, and he’ll be paid for it. But there was no occasion to talk to him as you would to an acquaintance.”
“Oh, I’m not so awful stuck-up as all that!”
“It isn’t a question of stuck-upness! Or, if you do call it that, it was just the time to be stuck-up. Proper civility is all very well, but you needn’t be chummy with a stranger. And I give you fair warning, Mona, that, if you want to be friends with me, you must never do that sort of thing again.”
“I do want to be friends with you, Patty, and I think I see what you mean now, but I didn’t think I was doing any harm. I’m glad to have you scold me, Patty, for I do want to do what’s right. You see, I never had much bringing-up. My mother died when I was a little girl, and since then father has indulged me in everything I wanted, but I’ve really had none of what you may call social training.”
Patty was amazed at the sudden humility of the girl whom she had considered arrogant and self-satisfied. She began to think that she might do a good work in teaching Mona some things of which she seemed to have no idea, but which came to Patty by instinct.
“My mother died when I was very little, too,” she said; “but I think my father brought me up as well as any woman could have done. And, then, I have the dearest stepmother. She’s just the perfection of all that’s sweet and gentle and refined.”
“You’re a lucky girl, Patty, and I envy you.”
“Now, that’s silly! You’re a lucky girl to have such an indulgent father, and oceans of money, and freedom to do exactly as you choose. Why, you have all sorts of possibilities, Mona. You could make yourself anything you want to.”
“Will you help me, Patty?”
“Why, yes, as far as I can.” Though Patty felt kindly disposed toward the girl, and wanted to help her, she didn’t care to take the entire responsibility of shaping her future, and she knew Mona’s pushing spirit would demand this, if given a chance. So she dropped the subject for the present, and they chatted gaily of all sorts of things. And, when at last Patty set Mona down at her own door, she had not mentioned the subject of her birthday, or said that she was expecting a house party of young people to visit her.