At her first introduction in the taxi-cab Patricia had undertaken to converse with Miss Renée in the stilted French she had learned at Miss Prindle's. But Renée had answered in perfect English.
Now, with the singing of the birds to tune their voices to a happy note, with the pretty flowers bringing a smile to Renée's sad little face, it was easy to bridge over the formality of "getting acquainted." Renée exclaimed in delight over the birds and the flowers and Pat rattled on like a small magpie, though all the while straining her ears to catch a single word or tone of her father's voice from the library.
She had her own way--sometimes a rather naughty way--of getting what she wanted from her family, but this was so different, and she wanted it so very much that she felt very anxious and uncertain! So after she had waited what seemed to her a very long time she abruptly led Renée back to the library. As they entered the room her father held out both hands. One took one of hers, with the other he drew Renée close to him.
"My dear little girl, Capt. Allan is going to leave you with us for a little while! And I have given him my promise that you shall be as safe and happy as it is possible for us to make you----" He wanted to say a great deal more to make Renée feel at home but Patricia interrupted him with a tempestuous hug that almost swept him from his feet.
"Oh, you dear, dear Daddy!" Then she threw her arms around Renée's neck. "Oh, I am so happy!" she was crying over and over, as though she had been the homeless one and Renée had taken her in.
"Don't forget me, Miss Everett," the soldier put in so comically that Patricia almost embraced him, too! Instead she shook both his hands delightedly. As Renée turned to Capt. Allan her lips trembled a little, for she had learned to love and trust him and already looked upon him as her guardian.
"Just you be brave and happy, little sister!" he said softly to her, "and as soon as I can I will come back!"
Then he shook hands with each one of them and Renée shyly kissed him. Mr. Everett went with him to the door. Patricia, knowing how hard the parting was for her little guest, seized her hand and dragged her toward a door at the end of the big hall.
"Let's go and find Melodia! I know something she's got!"
Only a few moments before Melodia had been telling the butler and the upstairs maid about "that Miss Pat's giving her orders so comical" and they were all laughing merrily over it when Miss Pat burst in upon them, leading Renée by the hand.