She was not in the habit of crying herself, and she always felt uncomfortable when other people did it. Something must be done, however, and she advanced to the threshold and silently regarded Olivia, who was stretched face downward on the bed. At the sound of Patty's step she raised her head and cast a startled glance at the intruder, and then buried her face in the pillows again. Patty scribbled an "engaged" sign and pinned it on the study door, and drawing up a chair beside the bed, she sat down with the air of a physician about to make a diagnosis.
"Well, Olivia," she began in a business-like tone, "what is the trouble?"
Olivia opened her hands and disclosed some crumpled papers. Patty spread them out and hastily ran her eyes over the official printed slips:
Miss Copeland is hereby informed that she has been found deficient in German (three hours).
Miss Copeland is hereby informed that she has been found deficient in Latin prose (one hour).
Miss Copeland is hereby informed that she has been found deficient in geometry (four hours).
Patty performed a rapid calculation,—"three and one are four and four are eight,"—and knit her brows.
"Will they send me home, Patty?"
"Mercy, no, child; I hope not. A person who's done as good work as you in English ought to have the right to flunk every other blessed thing, if she wants to."
"But you're dropped if you flunk eight hours; you told me so yourself."