CHAPTER V
A NEW HOME
Great was the rejoicing and celebration when Mr. and Mrs. Fairfieldreturned from their wedding trip. They came to the apartment to remainthere for a few days before moving to the new house.
Patty welcomed Nan with open arms, and it was harder than ever for her toattend to her studies when there was so much going on in the family.
The furnishing of the new house was almost completed, but there remainedseveral finishing touches to be attended to. As Patty's time was so muchoccupied, she was not allowed to have any hand in this work. Mrs. Allenhad come on from Philadelphia to help her daughter, and Grandma Elliottassisted in dismantling the apartment, preparatory to giving it up.
So when Patty started to school one Friday morning, and was told thatwhen the session was over she was to go to her new home to stay, she feltas if she were going to an unexplored country.
It was with joyful anticipations that she put on her hat and coat, afterschool, and started home.
Her father had given her a latch-key, and as she stepped in at the frontdoor, Nan, in a pretty house dress, stood ready to welcome her.
"My dear child," she said, "welcome home. How do you like the prospect?"
"It's lovely," said Patty, gazing around at as much as she could see ofthe beautiful house and its well-furnished rooms. "What a lot of newthings there are, and I recognise a good many of the old ones, too. Oh,Nan, won't we be happy all here together?"
"Indeed we will," said Nan. "I think it's the loveliest house in theworld, and mother and Fred have fixed it up so prettily. Come up and seeyour room, Patty."
A large, pleasant front room on the third floor had been assigned toPatty's use, and all her own special and favourite belongings had beenplaced there.
"How dear of you, Nan, to arrange this all for me, and put it all torights. I really couldn't have taken the time to do it myself, but it'sjust the way I want it."
"And this," said Nan, opening a door into a small room adjoining, "isyour own little study, where you can be quiet and undisturbed, whileyou're studying those terrific lessons of yours."
Patty gave a little squeal of delight at the dainty library, furnished ingreen, and with her own desk and bookcases already in place.
"But don't think," Nan went on, "that we shall let you stay here and grubaway at those books much of the time. An hour a day is all we intend toallow you to be absent from our family circle while you're in the house."
"An hour a day to study!" exclaimed Patty. "It's more likely that an houra day is all I can give you of my valuable society."
"We'll see about that," said Nan, wagging her head wisely. "You see Ihave some authority now, and I intend to exercise it."
"Ha," said Patty, dramatically, "I see it will be war to the knife!"
"To the knife!" declared Nan, as she ran away laughing.
Patty looked about her two lovely rooms with genuine pleasure. She waslike a cat in her love of comfortable chairs and luxurious cushions, andshe fully appreciated the special and individual care with which Nan andher father had considered her tastes. Had she not been so busy she wouldhave preferred to have a hand in the arranging of her rooms herself, butas it was, she was thankful that someone else had done it for her.
Hastily throwing off her hat and coat, she flung herself into acomfortable easy chair by her library table, and was soon deep in herFrench lesson.
A couple of hours later Nan came up and found her there.
"Patty Fairfield!" she exclaimed. "You are the worst I ever saw! Getright up and dress for dinner! Your father will be home in a few minutes,and I want you to help me receive properly the master of the house."
Patty rubbed her eyes and blinked, as Nan pulled the book away from her,and said, "Why, what time is it?"
"Time for you to stop studying, and come out of your shell and minglewith the world. Wake up!" and Nan gave Patty a little shake.
Patty came to herself and jumped up, saying, "Indeed, I'm glad enough toleave my horrid books, and I'm hungry enough to eat any dinner you mayset before me. What shall I wear, Nan?"
"Put on that pretty light blue thing of yours, with the lace yoke. Thisis rather a festival night, and we're going to celebrate the first dinnerin our new home."
So Patty brushed her curly hair and tied on a white ribbon bow of suchexceeding size and freshness that she looked almost as if wings weresprouting from her shoulders. Then she donned her light blue frock, andwent dancing downstairs, to find that her father had already arrived.
"Well, Pattikins," he said, "can you feel at home in this big house,after living so long in our apartment?"
"Yes, indeed," said Patty, "any place is home where you and Nan are."
The dinner passed off gaily enough. Only the three were present, as Nandid not want any guests the first night.
Although the dining-room appointments were those that had furnished theFairfields'Vernondale home, yet they were so augmented by numerouswedding gifts of Nan's that Patty felt as if she were at a dinner partyof unusual splendour.
"It's lovely to live in a house with a bride," she said, "because thereare such beautiful silver and glass things on the table, and on thesideboard."
"Yes," said Nan, glancing around her with satisfaction. "I intend to useall my things. I think it's perfectly silly to pack them away in a safe,and never have any good of them."
"But suppose burglars break in and steal them," said Patty.
"Well, even so," said Nan, placidly, "they would be gone, but it wouldn'tbe much different from having them stored away in a safe depositcompany."
"Nan's principle is right," said Mr. Fairfield. "Now, here's the way Ilook at it: what you can't afford to lose, you can't afford to buy.Remember that, Patty, and if ever you are tempted to invest a large sumof money in a diamond or silver or any portable property, look upon thatmoney as gone forever. True, you might realise on your possession in caseof need, but more likely you could not, and, too, there is always thechance of losing it by carelessness or theft. So remember that you can'tafford to buy what you can't afford to lose."
"That's a new idea to me, papa," said Patty, "but I see what you mean andI know you are right. However, there's little chance of my investing insilver at present, for I can just as well use Nan's."
"Of course you can," said Nan, heartily; "and whenever you want to havecompany, or a party of any kind, you've only to mention it, and not onlymy silver, but my servants and my own best efforts are at your disposal."
"That's lovely," said Patty, "and I would love to have parties and invitethe schoolgirls and some of the boys, but I can't take the time now. Why,I couldn't spare an evening from my studies to entertain the crownedheads of Europe."
"Nonsense," said Mr. Fairfield, "you mustn't work so hard, Puss; andanyway you'll have to spare this evening, for I asked Hepworth to dropin, and I think two or three others may come, and we'll have a littleinformal housewarming."
"Yes," said Patty, dubiously, "and Kenneth said he would call thisevening, and Elise and Roger may come in. So, as it's Friday evening,I'll see them, of course; but after this I must study every eveningexcept Fridays."
A little later on, when a number of guests had assembled in theFairfields' drawing-room, Patty looked like anything but a bookworm, or apale-faced student. Her eyes danced, and the colour glowed in her prettyface, for she was very fond of merry society, and always looked herprettiest when thus animated.
She and Elise entertained the others by quoting some bits from the schoolplay, Nan sang for them, and Kenneth gave some of his clever and funnyimpersonations.
Mr. Hepworth declared that he had no parlour tricks, but Patty assertedthat he had, and she ran laughing from the room, to return with severallarge sheets of paper and a stick of drawing charcoal. Then she decreedthat Mr. Hepworth should draw caricature portraits of all those present.After a little demurring, the artist consented, and shrieks of laughterarose as his clever pencil swiftly sketched a humorous portrait of eac
hone.
"It's right down jolly," said Kenneth to Patty, "your having a big houseof your own like this. Mayn't I come often to see you? Mrs. Nan is sokind, she always has a welcome for me."
"You may come and accept her welcome whenever you like," said Patty, "butI can't promise to see you, Ken, except Friday evenings. Honestly, Idon't have one minute to myself. You see, we rehearse the playafternoons, and evenings I have to study, and Saturday is crammed jamfull."
"But she will see you, Kenneth," said Nan, who had heard these remarks."We're not going to let her retire from the world in any such fashion asshe proposes; so you come to see us whenever you like, and my word forit, Patty will be at home to you."
Nan passed on, laughing, and Patty turned to Kenneth with an appealingglance.
"You know how it is, don't you, Ken? I just have to stick to my work likeeverything, or I won't pass those fearful examinations, and now that I'vemade up my mind to try for them, I _do_ want to succeed."
"Yes, I know, Patty, and I fully sympathise with your ambitions. Stick toit, and you'll come out all right yet; and if I should call sometimeswhen you're studying, just say you're too busy to see me, and it will beall right."
"What an old trump you are, Ken. You always seem to understand."
* * * * *
But as the days passed on, Patty found that other people did notunderstand. Her study hours were continually interrupted. There wereoccasional callers in the afternoon, and when Nan presented herself atthe study door, and begged so prettily that Patty would come down justthis once, the girl hadn't the heart to refuse. Then there was oftencompany in the evenings, and again Patty would be forced to break throughher rules. Or there were temptations which she really couldn'tresist,--such as when her father came home to dinner, bringing ticketsfor the opera, or for some especially fine play.
Then, Nan had a day each week on which she received her friends, and onthese Thursdays Patty was supposed also to act as hostess. Of course thispleasant duty was imperative, and Patty always enjoyed the littlereceptions, though she felt guilty at losing her Thursday afternoons.Almost invariably, too, some of the guests accepted Nan's invitation toremain to dinner, and that counted out Thursday evening as well.
Altogether, poor Patty was at her wits' end to find any time to herself.She tried rising very early in the morning and studying before breakfast,but she found it difficult to awaken early, and neither Nan nor herfather would allow her to be called.
So she was forced to resort to sitting up late, and studying after therest of the household had retired. As her room was on the third floor,she had no difficulty in pursuing this plan without anyone being aware ofit, but burning the midnight oil soon began to tell on her appearance.
One morning at breakfast, her father said, "Patty, child, what is thematter with you? Your eyes look like two holes burnt in a blanket! Youweren't up late last night?"
"Not very," said Patty, dropping her eyes before her father's searchinggaze.
Nothing more was said on the subject, but though Patty hated to doanything secretly, yet she felt she must continue her night work, as itwas really her only chance.
So that night as she sat studying until nearly midnight, her door slowlyopened, and Nan peeped in. She wore a kimono, and her hair was in a longbraid down her back.
"Patty Fairfield," she said, "go to bed at once! You ought to be ashamedof yourself, to sit up so late when you know your father doesn't want youto."
"Now, look here, Nan," said Patty, talking very seriously, "I _have_ tosit up late like this, because I can't get a minute's time through theday. You know how it is. There's always company, or something going on,and I can't wake up early in the morning, and I have to sit up late atnight, even if it does make me tired and sleepy and good for nothing thenext day. Oh, Nan, instead of hindering and making fun of me, andbothering me all you can, I think you might try to help me!"
Patty threw herself on her knees, and burying her face in Nan's lap,burst into a convulsive flood of tears.
Nan was thoroughly frightened. She had never before seen Patty cry, andthis was more than crying. It was almost hysterical.
Then, like a flash, Nan saw it all. Overwork and worry had so wrought onPatty's nerves that the girl was half sick and wholly irresponsible forher actions.
With a ready tact, Nan patted the golden head, and gently soothed theexcited child.
"Never mind, Patty, darling," she said, "and try to forgive me, won'tyou? I fear I have been rather blind to the true state of the case, but Isee more plainly now, and I will help you, indeed I will. I will see toit that you shall have your hours for study just as you want them, andyou shall not be interrupted. Dear little girl, you're all tired out, andyour nerves are all on edge, and no wonder. Now, hop along to bed, andyou'll see that things will go better after this."
As she talked, Nan had gently soothed the excited girl, and in a quiet,matter-of-fact way, she helped her prepare for bed, and finally tuckedher up snugly under her down coverlet.
"Good-night, dearie," she said; "go to sleep without a bother on yourmind, and remember that after this Nan will see to it that you shall haveother times to study than the middle of the night."
"Good-night," said Patty, "and I'm sorry I made such a baby of myself.But truly, Nan, I'm bothered to death with those old lessons and the playand everything."
"That's all right; just go to sleep and dream of Commencement Day, whenall the bothers will be over, and you'll get your diploma and your medal,and a few dozen bouquets besides."
And with a final good-night kiss, Nan left the worn-out girl and returnedthoughtfully to her own room.