So Mr. Crosby turned to talk to the lady on his other side, and
Patty turned to Philip, who looked a trifle sulky.

"Thought you were going to talk to that chap all evening," he
growled, under his breath.

"I should like to," said Patty, sweetly, "he's SO interesting. But I
can't monopolise him, you know. As I don't want to talk to a growly
bear, I think, if you'll excuse me from polite conversation, I'll
meditate for awhile."

"Meditate on your sins; it'll do you good!"

Patty opened her blue eyes wide and stared at the speaker. "Why,"
she said, "to meditate, one must have something to meditate on!"

"And you think you haven't any sins! Oh, would some power the giftie
gi'e us!"

"To see ourselves as ithers see us," Patty completed the rhyme. "But
you see, Philip, as I don't see any sins in myself, I can't meditate
on the sins that ithers see in me, if I don't know what they are."

"Well, I'll tell you a big, black one! You simply ignored me for
half an hour, while you jabbered to that duffer on the other side!
Now meditate on THAT!"

Patty obediently cast down her eyes, and assumed a mournful
expression. She continued to sit thus without speaking; until Philip
exclaimed: