"You know, Susan, this is to be a dead secret. Don't ever tell
anybody. And you must obey my orders implicitly. I'll pay you
something extra for your trouble."

"Sure, it's no trouble at all, Miss Patty. I'd do anything for ye,
whativer. But you must be afther tellin' me just what to do."

"Of course I will. And, first of all, Susan, you must go home,--I
mean, to your sister's,--get your dinner there, and then come to
'Red Chimneys' about half-past seven and ask for me. They'll bring
you right up to my room, and I'll dress you up as I think best.
Then we'll take you down to the drawing-room, and all you'll have
to do, Susan, is to sit there all the evening in a big easy chair.
Can you knit, Susan?"

"Yes, Miss Patty."

"Well, bring a piece of knitting work, not an old grey thing,--a
piece of nice, fleecy white wool work. Have you any?"

"I've not, Miss, but I'll get some white yarn from my sister, and
start a shawl or a tippet."

"Yes; do that. Then you just sit there, you know, and knit and
glance around the room now and then, and smile benignly. Can you
smile benignly, Susan?"

Susan tried, and after one or two lessons from Patty, was
pronounced proficient in that art.