I believe you evaded me on purpose!"
"Why should I?" and Patty looked a little scared.
"I'll tell you why! Because you knew what I wanted to say to you!
Because you KNOW--confound that butler! He's everywhere at once!
Patty, come in the drawing-room."
"Jane's in there," said Patty, demurely, and smiling up at Bill
from under her long lashes.
"Well, come,--oh, come anywhere, where I can speak to you alone a
minute!"
"Just one minute," said Patty, "no more!"
"All right, but where can we go?"
"Here!" said Patty, and leading him through the dining-room, she
opened the door of the butler's pantry, a spacious and attractive
room of itself.
"James won't be in here to-night," she said, "as we are dining
out. But I'll only stay a minute."
"But, Patty, DARLING, I want to tell you,--you know I'm going
away, and I won't see you again,--and I MUST tell you,--I must ASK
you--"
"Patty--Pat-ty! Bill! Where ARE you both?"
Mona's voice rose high as she called, and it was joined by others
calling the same two names.
"They're calling, we must go!" exclaimed Patty.
"Go! Nothing!" cried Big Bill, savagely. He glanced round,--he saw
the dumb-waiter, built large and roomy in accordance with all the
plans of "Red Chimneys.
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