Books: Patty in Paris
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Carolyn Wells >> Patty in Paris
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As for Ma'amselle, she petted Patty, and cried over her, and thanked
her, and blessed her, to an extent that could not have been exceeded had
Patty saved her from the guillotine.
Then Patty was packed into the back seat of the big car, with Ma'amselle
on one side of her and Rosamond on the other. And with this precious
freight the chauffeur started off, leaving the groom who had gone with
the first party to bring home the other car.
Though there was not much talking done on the way home, Ma'amselle held
Patty's hand closely clasped in her own, and the girl felt well repaid
by the old lady's unspoken gratitude for the trouble and danger she had
undergone.
When they reached home, and Ma'amselle had warmly welcomed her nephew,
there was great to-do over Patty's daring journey.
"All's well that ends well," said Elise, "but you'll catch it, Patty
Fairfield, when mother hears of your performance. If I had been in
Rosamond's place you would have had to drive that car out over my dead
body!"
"That's why I didn't take you, Elise," said Patty, laughing; "I knew
you'd raise a terrible row about my going, while Rosamond obeyed my
orders like a meek little lamb."
"You should at least have let me accompany you, Mademoiselle Fairfield,"
said Philippe Baring; "I cannot drive an automobile, I regret to say,
but I might have been a protection for you."
Patty didn't see any especial way in which Mr. Baring could have
protected her, but she didn't say so, and only thanked him prettily for
his interest in her welfare.
Henry Labesse was enthusiastic in his admiration and praise of Patty,
and declared that American girls were wonders.
Ma'amselle was so pleased to think she had been saved a useless trip to
Paris, and to think that she should be able now to spend the evening
with her young guests, and above all, to think that her beloved nephew
was with her, that she hovered around like an excited butterfly from one
to another.
Then she sent them all away to dress for dinner, which, though belated,
was to be a merry feast.
And, indeed, it proved so.
Old Ma'amselle came down first, and stood in the grandest drawing-room
to receive her honoured guests.
The three boys came next, in their immaculate evening dress, which Henri
had managed to get into in spite of his sling.
Then came the girls, the three, as usual, walking side by side, with
their arms about each other. They had carried out their plan of red,
white and blue dresses, and made a pretty picture as they entered the
drawing-room, and bowed in unison to their hostess.
The dinner was especially elaborate as to decorations, and confections
that would please the young people, and the chef had done his very best
to make his part of the occasion a worthy one.
Henri Labesse proved to be an exceedingly jolly young man, quite
bubbling over with gay spirits and witty sallies He did not hesitate to
joke with his aunt, who, notwithstanding her dignity, was never offended
at her nephew's bantering speeches.
The other two boys, though a trifle more formal than Henri, and perhaps
a little bit shy, after the manner of very young Frenchmen, were willing
to do their share, and as our three American girls were in the highest
of spirits, the feast was a gay one, indeed.
Ma'amselle gazed around at her brood with such delight and satisfaction
that she almost forgot to eat.
Over and over again she wanted it explained to her how Henri had broken
his arm in his gymnasium class, how he had thought he would not be able
to go to St. Germain, and so had telegraphed his aunt to come to him,
and how, later, the doctor had patched him up so that he could go, and
he had followed close upon the heels of a second telegram.
The delayed message arrived while they were at dinner, and Henri twisted
it up, and lighting it at a candle flame, burned it, saying it was a bad
spirit which had worked them ill, but which should trouble them no more.
Then Ma'amselle wanted to hear again all about Patty's wonderful ride,
the difficulties she had encountered, the nerve strain she had
experienced, and the help and comfort Rosamond had been to her.
"And," concluded Patty as she wound up her recital, "I don't want any
one to tell Mrs. Farrington about it, because I want to tell her
myself."
Elise smiled, for she well knew that Patty's wheedlesome ways would
persuade Mrs. Farrington to look leniently on the episode, although it
had, indeed, been a desperately dangerous piece of business.
But Ma'amselle Labesse asserted that after she had said what she had to
say to Mrs. Farrington, she knew that Patty would not be reprimanded by
her, but rather be deemed worthy of the Cross of the Legion of Honour.
Patty smiled at them all, in reality caring little, even if she were
reprimanded. She knew she had done a daring thing, but she had kept her
head, and had come through it safely, and having won, she felt it was
her right to laugh.
"Are all American girls so brave and fearless?" inquired Mr. Villere.
"I think most of them are," said Patty, "but you must understand I was
not recklessly daring. I have had many lessons in motoring, and I'm a
fairly expert driver. Of course, everybody is liable to accidents, and I
took my chances on them, but not on my driving."
"You took chances on losing your head," remarked Rosamond.
"So did Marie Antoinette," returned Patty saucily, "but you see I fared
better than she did."
CHAPTER XVIII
A NEW YEAR FETE
The next morning was the day of the New Year. As usual, every one did as
he or she chose during the morning hours, but luncheon time brought them
all together again.
The three boys had been out of doors all the morning, and seemed glad to
return again to the society of the American strangers.
The girls had been happy enough by themselves, and though they liked the
French boys well enough, had privately agreed that they were not half as
nice as American boys.
But half a dozen young people, if good-natured and enthusiastic, are
bound to have a merry time together, and as the six grew better
acquainted their national differences wore away somewhat.
Ma'amselle announced that the fete of the day would be an early evening
party, followed by a supper.
She had invited the neighbouring gentry, both young and old, as was her
custom on Jour de L'AN, and, as she explained, she was making it "more
of an elaborateness" this year by asking her guests to come in fancy
costumes.
This delighted the girls, for they all loved dressing up, but they had
no notion where their fancy costumes were to come from.
But Ma'amselle replied, "It is arranged," and during the afternoon she
led them to a large apartment which she called the Room of the Robes.
Here she displayed to the enraptured girls costume after costume of
wonderful beauty and magnificence.
The Labesse line had been a long one, and apparently its ladies had
never worn out or given away any of their robes. Nor its men either, for
there were costumes of knights and courtiers, some of which would surely
fit the three young men at present under the Chateau roof.
The girls were bewildered at the maze of costumes, and scarcely knew
which to select.
Finally Patty chose a bewitching Watteau affair, with a short quilted
petticoat, and a looped overdress made of the daintiest flowered silk
imaginable. The petticoat was of white satin, and the overdress of
palest blue, with garlands of pink roses. The pointed bodice laced up
over a dainty neckerchief, and it was further adorned with borders of
pearls.
Rosamond pounced upon a scarlet and gold brocade, which she declared was
her ideal of a perfect gown.
Elise found a pink brocatelle, embroidered with silver, and after they
had selected head-dresses, fans, and many accessories to their costumes,
they scurried away to their own rooms to try them on.
"Aren't we having the time of our life?" exclaimed Rosamond, as she
peacocked about, gazing over her shoulder at her long court train.
"Yes, indeed," said Patty, with a little sigh of content; "I adore this
dressing-up performance, and really, girls, those boys are quite human
under their French polish."
"They're not so bad," said Elise, "if only they wouldn't bow so often,
and so exactly like dancing masters."
"Well, it's all fun," said Patty, "and I'm going to get that awfully
nice Francoise to do my hair. She can make it just like an old French
picture. Would you powder it?"
"No," said Elise, after a moment's consideration; "the powder shakes off
all over everything and you can't make it really white, anyway; and
besides, Patty, your hair is too pretty a colour to disguise with
powder."
"Thank you for the compliment, Elise, though a little belated; all
right, then, I'll leave my tow-coloured tresses their natural shade, and
decorate them with strings of pearls and light blue ostrich tips."
The pearls and feathers and the manipulations of Franchise's artistic
fingers transformed Patty's head into the semblance of an old French
miniature, and even Patty herself cast an approving glance at the pretty
reflection in the gilt-framed mirror.
The girls were wild with enthusiasm over Patty's appearance, though
truth to tell, their own effects were scarcely less picturesque.
But Patty's style lent itself peculiarly well to the Watteau dress, and
her little feet with their dainty silk stockings and high-heeled paste-
buckled slippers twinkled beneath the quilted petticoat with all the
grace of a real Watteau picture.
When they were ready, they walked down stairs, single file, with great
pomp and dignity, to find awaiting them three polished young courtiers,
who might have belonged to the Court of Versailles.
Ma'amselle herself was scarcely disguised, for in her ordinary costume
she never strayed very far from the styles and materials of her beloved
ancestors.
But she had on a royal robe, with a great jewelled collar, and strings
of gems depending from her throat. She wore a coronet that had belonged
to some of the ladies of her family, and she seemed more than ever a
chatelaine of a bygone day.
The rooms were decorated with flowers and plants, in honour of the
occasion, and hundreds of wax lights added to the brilliancy of the
scene.
An orchestra of stringed instruments played delightful music, and Patty
tried to forget entirely that she lived in the twentieth century, and
pretended that time had been turned back many, many years.
The guests began to arrive, and though their costumes were of great
variety, they were nearly all of French effects, and quite in harmony
with the scene. Patty did not seem to care much to converse, or even to
dance, but wandered around in a blissful state, enjoying the picturesque
scene.
"Probably I shall never see anything like this again," she thought to
herself, "and I just want to gaze at it until it is photographed on my
mind forever. Oh, won't it be fun to tell Nan and papa about it!"
Just then she saw Henri Labesse approaching her.
"I fear I shall be awkward, Mademoiselle," he said, glancing at his arm
in a sling, "but if you would forgive, and dance with me just once?"
"Of course I will," said Patty, her kind heart full of sympathy for the
poor fellow. "We can manage quite nicely, I'm sure."
Henri put his good arm round Patty's waist, and lightly laying her hand
on his shoulder, they glided away. Like most Frenchmen, young Labesse
was a perfect dancer, and as Patty was skilled in the art, they danced
beautifully together and seemed to be in no way impeded by the young
man's broken arm.
"What a dance!" exclaimed Patty, as the music stopped; "I never met any
one who dances as well as you do. If you dance like that with one arm,
what would do with two ?"
"All the merit of my dancing was due to my partner," said Henri, with
one of his best bows, "you are like a fluff of thistledown, or a will o'
the wisp. Forgive me, but I had imagined that American ladies danced
like--like automobiles."
Patty laughed. "If you hadn't already paid me such a pretty compliment,"
she said, "I should be angry with you for that speech. But if you wish
to know the truth of the matter, go and dance with Elise and Rosamond,
and then come back and tell me what you think of American dancing."
Henri went away obediently, leaving Patty to decide among the group of
partners who were begging her for a dance.
Later on Henri returned. "You are right," he said gravely; "the American
demoiselles are, indeed, divine dancers; but, may I say it? they are yet
not like you. Will you not give me one more turn, and then I must dance
no more to-night; my aunt forbids it, on the absurd score that I'm an
invalid."
Willingly, Patty danced again with the young man, and as this time it
was a fancy dance, the exquisite grace of the couple soon attracted the
attention of the onlookers. One by one the other couples ceased dancing,
until at last Patty and Henri were alone upon the waxed floor, while the
others looked admiringly on. Inspired by the moment, Patty indulged in
some fancy steps, which were quickly understood and repeated by Henri,
and depending on a whispered word now and then for direction, they
advanced and retreated, bowed and chasseed in an elaborate and exquisite
minuet.
Henri's disabled arm, so far from being an obstacle to his grace, seemed
to lend a certain quaint dignity to his movements, and in his court
dress he looked like a wounded knight who had returned triumphant from
the tourney, to dance with his fair lady.
Great applause followed the final figure of their dance, and Henri led
pretty Patty, blushing with the honours heaped upon her, to his aunt.
The old Ma'amselle kissed her dear little friend, and the tears in her
eyes told Patty how much she had enjoyed the scene.
Then came the feast, which was all gaiety and merriment, and finally, by
general acclamation, Patty was about to be crowned Queen of the New
Year.
This, however, she would not allow, and taking the crown which was
offered her, she went over and placed it on the white hair of her
hostess, remarking that Ma'amselle was queen, and she herself the first
lady in waiting.
The picture of pretty Patty as she stood by the side of the regal old
lady, who sat, crowned, in her own chair of state, was worthy of a
painter, and many who saw it wished it might have been transferred to
canvas.
The festival broke up early, for the old Ma'amselle would not allow late
hours for her children, and as soon as the last guest was gone she sent
them scampering to bed, with strict injunctions for them not to reappear
until noon the next day.
The next day was ushered in by a dismal, pouring rain, and certain
outdoor pleasures which were planned for the afternoon had to be given
up.
"But I'll tell you what we will do," announced Patty as they gathered in
the great hall after luncheon, "we'll have an afternoon of American fun,
and we'll show you French boys some tricks you never saw before."
Having asked permission from Ma'amselle, who would not have refused her
had she asked to build a bonfire on the drawing-room carpet, Patty took
her friends to the kitchen.
The fat old chef was amazed, but greatly pleased that the American
demoiselles should honour his precincts, and he put himself, his
assistants and all his pantries at their service.
"First," said Patty, "we're going to have a candy pull."
The French boys had no notion what a candy pull might be, but they were
more than willing to learn.
A difficulty arose, however, when Patty undertook to explain to old
Cesar, the CHEF, that she wanted molasses. She didn't know the French
word for molasses, and when she tried SIROP, Cesar affably flew around
and brought her such a variety of SIROPS that she was overwhelmed. Nor
were they of any use to her, for they were merely sweet essences of
various fruits, and nothing like good old New Orleans molasses.
Cesar was desolate that he could not please Patty, and berated his
assistants down to the scullion for not knowing what the American young
lady wanted.
As soon as he could for laughter, Henri helped matters out by explaining
that what was desired was MELASSE.
"Ah! OUI, OUI, OUI!" exclaimed the delighted Cesar, and he sent the
kitchen boys flying for the right thing at last.
Laughing herself at the absurdity of making molasses candy, with the
assistance of half a dozen French cooks, Patty proceeded to measure out
cupfuls of the treacle and pour it into a skillet.
She was enchanted with the immaculate purity and spotlessness of the
French kitchen, which even that of a New England housewife cannot rival.
She had set the boys to cracking nuts and picking them out, and when the
time came, she added butter and a dash of vinegar to her boiling candy,
watched with great interest by Cesar, whose French repertoire did not
include any such strange mess as this.
After the candy was poured out into the pans, and partly cooled, the
pulling began.
Patty never liked this part of the performance herself, and she frankly
said so, stating that if the others wanted to pull the taffy she would
show them how. Elise declined, but Rosamond pulled away briskly, using
only the tips of her fingers, and with a practiced touch, until her
portion of candy became of a beautiful cream colour and then almost
white. After watching her a few moments, Cesar caught the trick, and
taking a large panful, pulled and tossed it about with such dexterity
that they all applauded.
Henri, of course, could not join in the sport, but Philippe and Cecil
undertook it bravely, though, meeting with difficulties, they soon gave
it up.
"It Is a knack," said Patty, "and though I can do it fairly well, I hate
it because it's so messy. But Cesar is an artist at it, so suppose we
let him do the rest."
Cesar willingly consented to this plan, and the young people ran away,
leaving him to finish the taffy.
"Next," said Patty, as after much washing of hands they had again
assembled in the glass parlour, "I'm going to teach you to play bean
bags."
Elise and Rosamond set up a shout of laughter at this, and the boys
looked politely inquisitive.
Calling a footman, Patty, who greatly enjoyed the joke of being waited
upon to such an absurd degree, asked him pleasantly to bring her some
beans. She chose her French carefully, designating what she wanted by
the term haricots.
"Oui, Mademoiselle," said the obsequious footman, hurrying away on his
errand. He quickly returned, bearing a tin of French beans on a silver
tray.
Patty burst into laughter, and so did the rest of them, though only
Elise and Rosamond knew what the joke was about.
"Non, Non!" exclaimed Patty, between her peals of laughter; "beans,
beans! oh, wait a minute, I'll tell you, I'll tell you; stop, let me
think!"
After a moment's hard thought, she triumphantly exclaimed, "Feve!"
"Oui, oui, oui," exclaimed the footman, comprehendingly, and away he
stalked once more. This time he returned with a large silver dish full
of coffee beans, neither roasted nor ground.
These Patty accepted with many thanks. "I don't believe," she said,
"that they have real bean-bag beans in this benighted country, and these
will answer the purpose just as well."
Then again summoning her best French to her aid, she asked the footman
to procure for her some pieces of material--cloth or cotton--and she
indicated the size with her finger, also asking him to bring a work-
basket. Then with an exhausted air she sat back in her chair and waited.
"Patty, you do beat the Dutch!" said Elise; "you know he can't find such
things."
"Can't he?" said Patty complacently; "something tells me that that able
footman will return with material for bean-bags."
The boys were looking on with great amusement, though only half
understanding what it was all about. They understood English, and nearly
all of Patty's French, but BEAN-BAGS was an unknown word to them.
True to Patty's prophecy the clever footman returned, still grave and
immovable of countenance, but bearing a well-filled work-basket, and a
quantity of pieces of magnificent satin brocades which had been cut in
six-inch squares--that being the size indicated by Patty.
Patty took them with a gracious air of satisfaction, and rewarded the
footman with thanks in French and a smile in American.
"Now," she went on calmly, "I shall be pleased to have the assistance of
you two ladies, as I fancy these young men are not any more accustomed
to sewing than to pulling taffy."
But to her surprise Cecil declared himself an expert needleman, and
proved it by stitching up a bean-bag, under Patty's direction, in most
praiseworthy fashion.
Each of the girls made one, too, and when they were filled with the
coffee beans, and sewed up, Patty was again overcome by merriment at the
regal appearance of their satin brocaded bean-bags.
Then into the long hall they went, but alas! the girls could not bring
themselves to toss bean-bags in an apartment so filled with fragile
objects of value.
In despair Patty again consulted her friend the footman. As soon as he
understood her dilemma, he assured her he would arrange all; and in less
than fifteen minutes he came back to her, almost smiling, and invited
the party to follow him.
They followed to the picture gallery, where the ingenious man had
carefully placed a number of large, folding Japanese screens in front of
the pictures to protect them from possible harm.
Patty was delighted at this contrivance, and then followed such a game
of bean-bags as had probably never been seen before in all France.
The only drawback was that Henri could not take part in this sport, but
as Patty said wisely, "One cannot have everything in France; and, at any
rate, he can eat some of our American taffy, which must be cooled by
this time."
CHAPTER XIX
CYCLAMEN PERFUME
It didn't seem possible they had been at the Chateau for a week when the
day came to go home. "It was lovely at St. Germain," said Elise, as they
were once again settled in Paris, "but I'm glad to be back in the city,
aren't you, Patty?"
"Yes, I am, but I did have a lovely time at the Chateau. I think I like
new experiences, and the memory of them is like a lot of pictures that I
can look back to, and enjoy whenever I choose. I think my mind is
getting to be just like a postcard album, it's so filled with views of
foreign places."
"Mine is more like a kaleidoscope; it's all in a jumble, and I can't
seem to straighten it out."
But after a day or two the girls settled down into a fairly steady
routine of home life. They were both interested in their various
lessons, and though there was plenty of work, there was also plenty of
play.
They did not become acquainted with many French people, but the members
of the American Colony, as it was called, were socially inclined, and
they soon made many friends.
Then there was much shopping to be done, and Mrs. Farrington seemed
quite as interested in selecting pretty things for Patty as she did for
her own daughter.
The girls had especially pretty winter costumes of dark cloth, and each
had a handsome and valuable set of furs. In these, with their Paris
hats, they looked so picturesque that Mrs. Farrington proposed they
should have their photographs taken to send to friends at home.
The taking of the photographs developed into quite a lengthy
performance; for Mrs. Farrington said, that while they were about it,
they might as well have several styles.
So it resulted in their taking a trunk full of their prettiest dresses
and hats, and spending a whole morning in the photograph gallery.
"It's really more satisfactory," observed Patty, "to do these things by
the wholesale. Now I don't think I shall have to have photographs taken
again before I'm seventy, at least."
"You ought to have them at fifty," replied Elise; "you'll be such a
charming middle-aged lady, Patty. A little prim, perhaps, but rather
nice, after all."
"Thanks for the flattering prospect. I prophesy that when you're fifty,
you'll be a great artist, and you'll look exactly like Rosa Bonheur, and
you'll wear short grey hair and a linen duster. So you'd better have
plenty of photographs taken now, for I don't believe the linen duster
will be very becoming."
The photographs turned out to be extremely successful, both as
likenesses and as pictures. The girls sent many copies to their friends
in America, and Nan wrote back that she thought the girls ought to hurry
home, or they would become incorrigible Parisiennes.
Both Elise and Patty thoroughly enjoyed the hours they spent in the
great picture galleries. Although Elise had herself a talent for
painting, Patty had quite as great a love for pictures, and was
acquiring a true appreciation of their value. Sometimes Elise's teacher
would go with them, and sometimes Mr. or Mrs. Farrington. But the girls
liked best to ramble alone together through the Louvre or the
Luxembourg, and although the watchful Lisette walked grimly behind them,
they followed their own sweet will, and often sat for a long time before
their favourite pictures or statues.
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