CHAPTER VI
PURPLE AND FINE LINEN
When Mrs. St. Clair's purchases were sent home from New York and spread outon view, Patty could scarcely believe her own eyes.
Were all those fine clothes really meant for her?
The materials included silks, satins and velvets in bright colorings andsomewhat conspicuous patterns.
Some of the dresses were already made up, and these were befrilled andbeflounced, with lace and embroidery. As Patty had always worn delicateshades of material, and her dresses had been very simply made, she couldn'thelp protesting at all this bewildering array of finery. But her aunt said:
"Nonsense, child, you don't know what you're talking about. You are theguest of the St. Clairs, and your appearance must do us credit. I am notgiving you these things, you know; your father wrote me to buy for youwhatever was necessary or desirable. I have a lot of new clothes forEthelyn, too, and I want you to look as well as she does. While you arewith us you must be suitably dressed, else I shall feel ashamed of yourappearance."
Poor Patty began to wonder whether it was so very nice after all, to havefine clothes if she could have no voice in their selection.
But she thought, what is the use of objecting? Aunt Isabel will do as shepleases anyway, and while I'm staying with her, I ought to agree to whatshe wants.
Then two dressmakers came to stay a fortnight. Ethelyn and Patty were givena holiday from lessons, the schoolroom was turned into a sewing-room, andMiss Morton and Reginald betook themselves to the library.
Patty was rather sorry to miss her school hours, for the history lessonshad become interesting, but she soon found that Aunt Isabel's word was law.It was a law often broken by her own children, but Patty was not of amutinous heart, and she amiably obeyed Mrs. St. Clair's commands. But shehad her own opinion of the household, and she did not hesitate to expressit plainly in her letters to her father.
"I begin to see," she wrote to him one day, "what you meant when youexplained to me about proportion. In this house, money, and fine clothes,and making a great show, are out of all proportion to everything else. Theynever think of reading books, or doing charity work, or anything butshowing off. And if a thing costs a lot, it's all right, but if it's simpleand not expensive, it's no good at all. I can tell you, Mr. Papa, that whenwe have our home, we'll have less fuss and feathers, and more comfort andcommon sense. And it isn't only that the things cost so much, but they'realways talking about it, and telling how expensive they are. Why, UncleRobert has told me half-a-dozen times how much his horses and carriagescost, and now he says he's going to get an automobile, so I don't know whathe'll do with his horses. Ethelyn is very nice in some ways, but she isaffected and rude, and I don't like her as well as Clara Hayden, if she_is_ my cousin. Reginald is a nice boy, but he's sort of pompous andconceited, and thinks he's better than any one else in the world. LittleFlorelle is a dear, but she cries so easily that I can't have much fun withher. But there, now I've told you all the bads, I'll tell you some of thegoods. Miss Morton, the governess, is a lovely lady, and when Ethelyn is socross I can't stand her, I go to Miss Morton, and we have a walk or a drivetogether, and have nice, pleasant talks. And then I am taking singinglessons twice a week. Aunt Isabel says I have a pretty good voice, and Ilove to sing, and Reginald takes me skating, and that is splendid. I don'tknow how yet, but he says I am learning pretty well. Aunt Isabel gave anafternoon tea for me, and next week we are going to have a big party, and Ithink that will be nice. I like parties and dancing-school, only the girlsand boys all act so grown up. They are about my age and even younger, andthey act as if they were ladies and gentlemen. That isn't good proportion,is it? But I am pretty happy, except that I am often homesick for you. ThenI look at your picture, and at the beautiful picture of dear mamma and ithelps some. And your letters help me too, so write just as often as youcan, won't you?
"From your loving daughter,
"PATRICIA FAIRFIELD."
The party, as Patty had feared, was a very grown-up affair. For severaldays beforehand the servants were getting the house ready for it, and allwas bustle and confusion.
The furniture and bric-a-brac were all removed from the hall anddrawing-room and library, and carried up to the third floor to be out ofthe way. The portieres were taken down from the doorways, and on the day ofthe party they were replaced by simulated curtains of smilax and floweringvines.
As it was near the Christmas season, the decorations included evergreens,holly and mistletoe, but besides these, quantities of roses and rareflowers of all sorts were used. The florists came early and worked all day,and they transformed the house into a fairy bower.
Patty was delighted with this, and walked through the luxurious rooms,quite lost in admiration of their floral beauty.
Carpenters had enclosed the great veranda which was then hung with redsatin and decorated with ropes and wreaths of holly, and, like the rest ofthe house, was fairly ablaze with electric lights.
The party was to be from eight to twelve, and when Patty went down stairsat a little before eight, she found her uncle berating the musicians, whowere a little late in arriving.
"I want you to understand," Mr. St. Clair was saying, "that when _I_ sendfor you, you are to come when I bid you. Don't tell me you couldn't helpit,--if there is danger of detention on the road, you should start earlier._I_ am accustomed to having _my_ orders obeyed, and all who are employed atVilla Rosa must fully understand that. Go on with your music, and nexttime, see to it that you arrive more promptly."
Uncle Robert strutted away with such a pompous air, that Patty was almostafraid of him herself. But when he saw her, he beamed kindly, and said:
"Come here, my dear, and tell me what you think of all this."
"I think the house looks beautiful, uncle, just like Fairyland, with allthe flowers and lights. And I think you are very kind to give this partyfor me."
"Well, well, child, we have to invite our friends occasionally, you know.Have a good time, and I shall feel amply repaid for my outlay. ThoseAmerican Beauties are fine, aren't they?"
"Indeed they are," said Patty, sniffing at one that reached its richredness temptingly towards her.
"Oh, don't do that! You'll spoil them. Those roses cost six dollars adozen. But how fine you look in your new gew-gaws. Turn round, little one.Ah, we have no reason to feel ashamed of our Southern maid to-night."
Patty was glad her uncle was pleased, for she herself felt ratheruncomfortable. Her dress, which was made with low neck and short sleeves,was of red silk gauze, with multifold short skirts, accordion-plaited, andedged with thick, full ruches. Great golden butterflies were embroidered atintervals all over the dress, while ribbons and flowers were attachedwherever a place could be found for them.
Ethelyn had coaxed Patty to have her hair dressed high on her head, soElise had arranged a marvelous _coiffure_ which displayed jeweled pins andcombs of many sorts, and a necklace and bracelets rivaled them in glitter.Red silk stockings, and red satin slippers with gilt butterflies on themcompleted this gorgeous costume, and when Patty saw herself in the longmirrors, she thought she looked like one of the paper fairies which sheused to hang on her Christmas trees.
When the party began, she stood beside her aunt and Ethelyn and receivedthe guests as they arrived.
About fifty boys and girls came, and to Patty they all seemed likeoverdressed and artificial little puppets.
The girls put on grown-up airs, walked with mincing steps and giggledbehind their fans, while the boys were affected and absurdly formal.
Patty had thought there would be games or amusements of some youthful sort,but dancing and promenading alternated throughout the evening.
However, she was fond of dancing, and as she was quickly becoming a generalfavorite, her card was soon filled with the names of the nicest boys in theroom.
It was all very pleasant for a short time, but soon Patty grew very tiredand secretly longed for supper to be announced.
At last thi
s came to pass, and the children marched out to the dining-roomwhere another beautiful sight awaited them.
The caterers had been as skilful as the decorators, and the table wasfilled with marvelous confections of rich foods.
Patty had never seen such wonderful things, and she almost thought thepheasants were alive; and the big salmon looked as if it had just beentaken from the water. Then there were salads and croquettes, and funnylittle paper dishes filled with strange, delicious mixtures, and after allthese, came creams and jellies and ices, and cakes and bonbons in all sortsof odd shapes and colors.
Patty thought these things were too pretty to be eaten, but they werequickly demolished by the young people, who were hearty, hungry boys andgirls, in spite of their affected manners.
After supper the dancing and promenading began again, and was kept up untilmidnight, and Patty was a very tired little girl after she had saidgood-night to all the guests and the last carriage had rolled away fromVilla Rosa.
Ethelyn was tired too, and decidedly cross.
"I didn't have a very good time," she said; "that horrid old Gladys Mahoneyhad a prettier dress than mine; and I broke my new fan, and my slippers areso tight, they hurt me awfully." "Pooh, I know what makes you cross," saidReginald, "just 'cause Bob Burton didn't dance with you as much as he didwith Mabel Miller."
"I'm not cross," retorted Ethelyn, "and I didn't want to dance with BobBurton. If I were you, I'd try to learn some manners; Lou Smith says you'rethe rudest boy she ever saw."
"I don't care what Lou Smith says, little, freckle-faced thing! I don't seewhy she was invited here, anyway."
"Stop quarreling, children," said Mrs. St. Clair, "and go to bed at once.Patricia, I hope you enjoyed the party; I'm sure I tried to have it nice,but everything seemed to go wrong, the salad wasn't fit to eat and the icecream was half melted."
"Why, Aunt Isabel," said Patty, "I think everything was lovely. I never sawsuch a supper-table in my life, and the decorations were exquisite."
"Well, I didn't think so. It does seem a shame to pay out so much money,and then not have things to your liking."
"Oh, the party was good enough," said Mr. St. Clair, "you're too fussyabout trifles, Isabel. Come, children, scurry off to bed, you'll get nobeauty sleep to-night, I fear."
Patty went to her room, and taking her mother's picture, sat down to talkto it, as she did nearly every night.
"Motherdy," she said, "if you had lived to take care of me, I don't believeyou'd have liked the party we had to-night. The grown-upness of it was allout of proportion for children, I think, and,--as usual in this house, theexpense was out of proportion to everything else. Why, Uncle Robert musthave spent a thousand dollars for it,--maybe more,--he'll probably tell usto-morrow just how much everything cost. I liked some of the party,--thesupper was lovely, but,--well, I reckon I ate out of proportion too. Yousee, little mother, it's very hard always to do just right. Now I'm goingto bed, and I'm so sleepy, I don't know as I'll wake up before to-morrowafternoon."
She kissed the beautiful face, and putting the picture back where itbelonged, she hopped into bed and was soon fast asleep.