So she sang Stevenson’s little verses, “In Winter I Get Up at Night,” which have been set to such delightful music.  Again Mr. Pauvret’s accompaniment added to the charm of the song, and Patty returned to her place in the audience, quite embarrassed at the praises heaped upon her.

Elise sang, too, in a quartette of four girls.  They had practised together considerably, and sang really well.  There were many other musical numbers, interspersed with monologues and recitations, and the programme wound up with a series of tableaux.

Patty was in her element in these, and had helped to arrange them.  She took part in some of them herself, and in others she arranged the groups to form effective pictures.  An immense gilt picture frame, stretched across with gauze, was at the front of the stage.  This was held up on either side by two able-bodied seamen of the ship, in their sailor costume.  All of the tableaux were shown as pictures in this frame, and they called forth enthusiastic and appreciative applause.

Old Ma’amselle Labesse had been induced to appear in one of the tableaux, and as she possessed strikingly handsome costumes, she wore one of the prettiest, and made an easily recognisable representation of a painting by Nattier.  Altogether the concert was a great success and everybody had a good time.  It was expected that they would see land the next day, and so the concert partook of the nature of a farewell function.  Everybody was shaking hands and saying good-bye to everybody else, and after many good wishes and good-nights our two tired and sleepy girls went to their stateroom.

CHAPTER IX

PARIS

The next morning the girls spent in packing and getting ready to go ashore.  “I’m sure I don’t know where all these things came from,” said Patty; “but I know I have just about twice as many earthly possessions as I had when I came aboard.  I hate to pitch them out of the porthole, but I simply can’t get them all in my trunks.”

“Nor I,” said Elise.  “People have been giving us things ever since we started, and we must be greedies, because we haven’t given anything away, and now what shall we do with them?”

“Let’s give a lot away,” said Patty.  “We’ve pretty much read all we want to of this mountain of light literature.  Let’s give it all to the stewardess; and what do you think, Elise, about giving Yankee Doodle to the captain?  He is a blessed old bear, and I hate to look forward to life without him, but I don’t see how we can cart him to Paris, unless we carry him in our arms, and that’s where I draw the line.”

“So do I,” declared Elise.  “We might ask Lisette to carry him, but I know she wouldn’t want to do it.  Yes, let’s give him to the captain as a souvenir of our trip.”

This plan was carried out, and the captain was really delighted at the comical gift.  He said he should always keep it as a remembrance of the donors, and he hoped that when they returned to America they would again travel on his ship.