Her pillow slip by now was very much askew; one ear pointed northward, the other southeast, and she could only see out of one eye. It was very hot inside and she was gasping for breath. For a palpitating moment they merely stared and panted. Then Patty's mind began to work.
"I suppose," she suggested, "you are the burglar they are screaming about?"
The man leaned back limply and stared, his wide, frightened eyes shining through a fringe of meringue.
"I," said Patty, completing the introduction, "am the ghost."
He muttered something under his breath. She could not make out whether he was praying or swearing.
"Don't be afraid," she added kindly. "I won't hurt you."
"Is it a bloomin' insane asylum?"
"Just a girl's school."
"Gosh!" he observed.
"Hush!" said Patty. "They're coming this way now!"