Patty and her father having done all they could to make Nan as comfortable as possible, they left her at her own request in charge of a kind-mannered stewardess, and returned to the upper deck. Here, in two steamer chairs they sat, and watched England disappear.
As they went on, the intrusive spray dashed up on the deck, and finally onto the travellers themselves.
Patty laughed in glee, for her travelling cloak was of staunch material, and she thought the dashing drops great fun. But as the spray flew higher, the deckmaster brought tarpaulins to wrap about them, and thus protected, the two seafarers enjoyed the rough crossing.
“Isn’t it gay!” cried Patty, as a cloud of drops splashed full in her face, making her curly hair curl tighter about her brow.
“Fine!” answered Mr. Fairfield, but he had to scream to make himself heard above the racket of the sea.
As they neared shore, they went below to tidy up for the landing, and found Nan, radiantly smiling, as she awaited them.
“I’m all right now,” she announced, “but I shouldn’t have been, if I’d been pitching and tossing about in the upper air as you have. Goodness! but you’re a sight! Both of you. Can you get wrung out in time to land, do you think?” But in a short time Mr. Fairfield and Patty were transformed into dry and correct-looking citizens, and no sign remained of their watery escapade, save the damp curls that clustered around Patty’s forehead.
CHAPTER V.
DAYS IN PARIS
THE Fairfields spent a few delightful days in Paris. They staid at a large and pleasant hotel, and their rooms looked out upon the Place Vendôme, which was one of Patty’s favourite spots in the French capital.