This statement was accompanied by such decided gestures of head and hands that Patty was very nearly convinced to the contrary, but she only said, "I"m sorry, Pansy,--you said your name was Pansy, didn"t you?"
"Yes, miss,--Pansy Potts."
"What an extraordinary name!"
"Is it, miss? Well, you see, my father"s name was Potts; and mother named me Pansy, because she"s so fond of the flower. You don"t think the name will interfere with my being a waitress, do you?"
"Not so far as I"m concerned," said Patty, laughing; "but, you see, I shall be a very inexperienced housekeeper, and if I have an inexperienced waitress also, I don"t know what might happen."
"Why, now, miss; it seems to me that that would work out just right.
You"re a young housekeeper, but I expect you know just about what a waitress ought to do, and you could teach me; and I know a lot about housekeeping, and I could teach you."
The sincerity in Pansy"s voice and manner impressed Patty, and she looked at her closely, as she said:
"It does seem good proportion."
"It is," said Pansy; "and you"ve no idea how quickly I can learn."
"Can you?" said Patty. "Well, then, learn first to call me Miss Patty. It would suit me much better than to hear you say "miss" so often."
"Yes, Miss Patty."
"And don"t wring your hands in that absurd fashion, and don"t stand first on one foot and then on the other, as if you were scared out of your wits."
"No, Miss Patty."
Pansy ceased shuffling, dropped her hands naturally to her sides, and stood in the quiet, respectful att.i.tude that Patty had unconsciously a.s.sumed while speaking.
Delighted at this quick-witted mimicry, Patty exclaimed:
"I believe you will do. I believe you are just the one; but I can"t decide positively, now. You go home, Pansy, and come to-morrow afternoon to see me at Mrs. Elliott"s. Do you know where I live?"
"Yes, Miss Patty," and, with a respectful little bob of her head, Pansy Potts disappeared, and Patty ran back to the house.
"Well, chickadee," said Mr. Fairfield, "I have about decided that you and I can make ourselves comfortable within these four walls, and, if it suits your ladyship, I think we"ll consider that we have taken the house."
"It does suit me," said Patty. "I"m perfectly satisfied; and _I_ have taken a house-maid."
"Where did you get her?" exclaimed Frank. "Do they grow on trees in the garden? I saw you out in the arbour with one."
"Yes," said Patty; "I picked her off a tree. She isn"t quite ripe, but she"s not so very green; and I think she"ll do. Never mind about her now.
I can"t decide until I"ve had a talk with Aunt Alice. I"m so glad you decided on this house, papa. Oh, isn"t it lovely to have a home! It looks rather bare, to be sure, but, be it ever so empty, there"s no place like home. Now, what shall we name it? I do like a nice name for a place."
"It has so many of those little boxwood Hedges," said Aunt Alice, looking out of the window, "that you might call it The Boxwood House."
"Oh, don"t call it a wood-house," said Uncle Charley.
"Call it the wood-box, and be done with it," Frank.
"I like "Hall,"" said Patty. "How is Boxwood Hall?"
"Sounds like Locksley Hall," said Marian.
"More like Boxley Hall," said Frank.
"Boxley Hall!" cried Patty. "That"s just the thing! I like that."
"Rather a pretentious name to live up to," said Mr. Fairfield.
"Never mind," said Patty. "With Pansy Potts for a waitress, we can live up to any name."
And so Patty"s new home was chosen, and its name was Boxley Hall.
CHAPTER V
SHOPPING
As Boxley Hall was a sort of experiment, Mr. Fairfield concluded to rent the place for a year, with the privilege of buying.
By this time Patty was sure that she wished to remain in Vernondale all her life; but her father said that women, even very young ones, were fickle in their tastes, and he thought it wiser to be on the safe side.
"And it doesn"t matter," as Patty said to Marian; "for, when the year is up, papa will just buy the house, and then it will be all right."
Having found a home, the next thing was to furnish it; and about this Mr.
Fairfield was very decided and methodical.
"To-morrow," he said, as they were talking it over at the Elliotts" one evening, "to-morrow I shall take Patty to New York to select the most important pieces of furniture. We shall go alone, because it is a very special occasion, and we can"t allow ourselves to be hampered by outside advices. Another day we shall go to buy prosaic things like tablecloths and carpet-sweepers; and then, as we know little about such things, we shall be glad to take with us some experienced advisers."
And so the next day Patty and her father started for the city to buy furniture for Boxley Hall.
"You see, Patty," said her father after they were seated in the train, "there is a certain proportion to be observed in furnishing a house, about which, I imagine, you know very little."
"Very little, indeed," returned Patty; "but, then, how should I know such things when I"ve never furnished a house?"
"I understand that," said Mr. Fairfield; "and so, with my advantages of age and experience, and your own natural good taste, I think we shall accomplish this thing successfully. Now, first, as to what we have on hand."
"Why, we haven"t anything on hand," said Patty; "at least, I have a few pictures and books, and the afghan grandma"s knitting for me; but that"s all."
"You reckon without your host," said her father, smiling. "I possess some few objects of value, and during the past year I have added to my collection in antic.i.p.ation of the time when we should have our own home."
"Oh, papa!" cried Patty; "have you a whole lot of new furniture that I don"t know about?"
"Yes," said Mr. Fairfield; "except, that, instead of being new, it is mostly old. I had opportunities in the South to pick up bits of fine old mahogany, and I have a number of really good pieces that will help to make Boxley Hall attractive."