"Where is Babette?" asked Mrs. Perry, surprised to see Nora in place
of her French maid.
"Sure she's sick, Mrs. Perry; she do be feelin' that bad, she had to
go to bed. So she bid me do the best I can for the young ladies."
"I'm sorry to hear Babette is ill; I must go and see her at once."
And Mrs. Perry went away toward the servants' quarters.
She returned shortly, saying Babette had a bad cold and a slight
fever, but that her symptoms were not alarming.
"But I'm sorry you girls can't have her services to-night," Mrs.
Perry went on.
"It doesn't matter a bit," said Patty; "I'd be sorry for myself, if
I couldn't get in and out of my own clothes! Don't think of it, Mrs.
Perry."
They all went up to their rooms, and though Nora did her best to
assist Patty, her unskilful help bothered more than it aided. So she
kindly dismissed the girl, and catching up a kimono went across to
Marie's room.
"You get me out of this frock, won't you, Marie?" she said. "It
fidgets me to have Nora fumbling with the hooks. It's a complicated
arrangement and I know she'd tear the lace."
Marie willingly acquiesced, and then Patty slipped off the pretty
yellow gown, and got into her blue silk kimono.
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