ited then in expectancy that now Rosamond would appear to take her
to Madame Milano, but no one came, and in a shorter time than it seemed
to her she rose, spurred by the amused lady's eyes, and made her way
among the chatting throngs straight to the dressing-room, where she
ordered her wraps and made her way downstairs with the calm of hope
destroyed.

She passed the footmen at the door, quite aware of their stares and
equally undaunted by them. Through the lane of canvas she gained the
pavement and so was out in the night streets--alone for the first time
in her sheltered life.

Artemis Lodge was only a few squares distant and she almost ran the
short blocks, arriving at the green entrance door out of breath and
suddenly realizing that the custodian left at eleven o'clock and
Rosamond had the night key which Miss Ardsley allowed only to privileged
ones.

As she hesitated, a couple of figures came toward her, and she was
overjoyed to recognize Mary Scull, one of the oldest residents, and
little Rita Stanford, whom she had been chaperoning to a concert given
by the blind. They were so full of the wonderful work done by these
afflicted musicians that they scarcely listened to her limping
explanation of her dilemma.

They took her in with them and left her at the foot of her own stair,
and she could hear them as they went across the courtyard in the quiet
starlight, discussing the difficulties of song-reading by the blind.

She rushed upstairs and undressed hastily, flinging off her clothes and
dropping into bed without brushing her hair, so afraid was she that
Rosamond might come in before her light was out.

She cried softly in the dark because she could not say her prayers. The
tumult in her heart was too loud.

CHAPTER XII

PATRICIA MOVES

She received Rosamond's careless chiding for her unconventional behavior
with an uneasy feeling. Her divinity was showing the first flaw.

"I don't think I was entirely to blame, even though I did feel shy at
first," she defended herself with some hesitation. "Couldn't you have
sent for me, even if you didn't want to come yourself? The footmen were
going about constantly with those cute little ices."

Her sense of justice was not appeased by her friend's evading this very
reasonable statement, and Rosamond's laughing indifference to her
disappointment in not meeting Madame Milano again stung her to the
quick.

She was too proud to show her feelings openly, ho