"_Sur le pont D'Avignon, On y dansait, on y dansait, Sur le pont D'Avignon, On y dansait tout le rond_!"
Patty's sweet, clear soprano notes rang out gaily as she trilled the little song she had picked up in France.
"What a pretty thing," cried Elise, "teach it to me, do, Patty."
"All right, I will. But there's a record of it,--my singing,--for the phonograph. You'll learn it better from that."
"All right; Chick, come and find the record for me."
The two went into the library, leaving the others on the porch.
It was Sunday afternoon, and everybody was idle and happy. Patty was a good hostess and did not bother her guests by over-entertaining them.
But at Wistaria Porch there was always enough to do, if any one wanted to do it,--and delightful lounging places, if one were indolently inclined.
Searching among the catalogued records, Chick easily found the one Elise wanted.
"What a lot of records they have of the baby's voice!" he exclaimed.
"Yes," Elise assented, "they make them on all occasions. Patty's keeping them for her, when she grows up. Clever idea."
"Yes, but she'll have to build a town hall to keep them in! The child hasn't begun to talk yet, but here are dozens--"
"Oh, well, they'll weed them out. Some of them are awful cunning,--and one is a first-class crying spell! They never could get but one of Fleurette crying, she's such a good-natured kiddy. All right, Chick,--start it off."
They listened to the pretty little _chanson_, and repeated it until Elise felt satisfied she had added it to her repertory.
Just as she finished Betty Gale came flying in.
"Skip into your togs, Elise, and come for a drive with us," she said. "I've corralled Bill and Patty,--and Ray wants you,--and I," she looked saucily at Channing, "I want Mr. Chick."
"We're with you to the last ditch!" Channing replied and Elise went off for her hat.
"Shall I put away these records?" Chick asked looking at several they had been using.
"No," said Betty, carelessly, "Patty has hordes of minions who do such things. Leave them, and get your duster on. We're off,--_pronto_!"
"Where's Azalea?" Raymond Gale inquired, as, a few moments later, he had his merry party in his car, and took hold of the wheel.
"She and Van Reypen went for a long walk," Farnsworth replied. "And the married Farringtons have gone back to town, so this is all our party--for the moment."