"Yes," said Patty, in a meek little voice; "shall I go away?"

"Great jumping cows! NO! Don't go away, stay right where you are!"

"But I'm going away for ever," said Patty, moved by a dramatic
impulse; "my captors have found out that I'm holding communication
with you, and they're going to take me away to another castle, and
imprison me there."

"Stop your fooling; I want to know who you are, and I want to know
it quick! Do you hear THAT?"

"Yes, I hear," returned Patty, saucily, "but I don't have to answer!
And if you talk to me like that, I shall hang up this receiver."

"I won't talk like that any more. But, do you know, I thought I had
found you, and you turned out to be somebody else."

"But I can't be anybody else. I'm only myself."

"Be serious a minute, won't you? I went to my cousin's and met a
beautiful, poppy-cheeked princess; but she wasn't you."

"How do you know she wasn't?"

"Because she couldn't sing a LITTLE bit! And you can."

"I can sing a LITTLE bit! Oh, thank you!"