Books: Patty in Paris
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Carolyn Wells >> Patty in Paris
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Rather rapidly they passed through the various SALONS of the museum,
pausing here and there, as one or another of the party wished to examine
something in particular. The State Rooms and Royal Apartments were most
interesting, but Patty concluded that she liked best of all the Gallery
of Battles. The splendid pictures of war enthralled her, and she would
have been glad had the rest of the party left her to spend the entire
day alone in the great gallery.
But this, of course, they had no wish to do, and with a last lingering
glance at the picture of Napoleon at the battle of Jena, she reluctantly
allowed herself to be led away.
Napoleon was one of Patty's heroes, and she was eagerly interested in
all of the many relics and souvenirs of the great man.
Especially was she interested in his bedroom, and greatly admired the
gorgeous furnishings and quaint, old-fashioned French bedstead.
Having scurried through the palace and museum, Mr. Farrington declared
that he could do no more sightseeing until he had eaten some sustaining
luncheon.
So again they climbed into the automobiles and were whisked away to a
hotel in the town.
Here they were provided with a most satisfying meal, which was partaken
of amid much merry conversation and laughter.
CHAPTER XII
SHOPPING
The afternoon was devoted to the gardens and the Trianons.
Elise was enraptured with the garden, but Patty, while she admired them
very much, thought them too stiff and formal for her taste. Laid out, as
they are, according to the laws of geometrical symmetry, it seemed to
Patty that grace and beauty were sacrificed to squares and straight
lines.
But none the less was she interested in the wonderful landscape, and
amazed that any grass could be so green as that of the marvelous green
carpet. The multitude of statues and fountains, the walks and terraces,
and the exquisite colours of the autumn trees, made a picture that Patty
never forgot.
The Trianons presented new delights, and Patty fancied herself
transported back to the days of Marie Antoinette and her elaborately
planned pleasures.
A place of especial interest was the carriage house, where are exhibited
the Royal State carriages.
As they were about to enter, Phil Marchbanks, who was ahead, turned
round with a look of comical dismay on his face.
"We can't go in," he said; "we can't fulfil their requirements!"
"What do you mean?" said Patty.
"Why here's a sign that says 'wet umbrellas must be left in the cloak
room.' You see, it's imperative,--and as we have no wet umbrellas to
leave in the cloak room, whatever shall we do?"
"Isn't it awful!" said Patty. "Of course, we can't go in if we don't
fulfil their laws. But it's a foolish law, and better broken than kept,
so I propose we march on in spite of it."
So they marched on and spent one of their pleasantest half hours
admiring the royal coaches.
The Coronation Carriage of Charles the X. pleased Patty most, especially
as it had been restored by Napoleon and bore the magic initial N. on its
regalia.
Mr. Farrington slyly volunteered the information that it stood for
Napoleon the Third, but Patty declared that she didn't care, as any
Napoleon was good enough for her.
SHOPPING
Then the various sights of the Trianons claimed their attention, and
they visited the farm and the dairy, and the Temple of Love, and the
Swiss Cottage, and the Presbytery, and the Music Pavilion, and the Mill,
until they were all mixed up, and Patty declared that her mind was
nothing but a kaleidoscope full of broken bits of gay scenes.
Then the party went to the Grotto of Apollo, and sat down there for a
short time to rest before returning home.
"This is the first time," said Patty, "that it has seemed like a picnic,
but this is a real picnic place,--though a much more grand one than I
ever picnicked in before."
"You can probably make up your mind," said Bert, "that it's about the
grandest picnic place there is; and speaking of picnics, I'd like to
invite all this party to dine with me on our way home."
"Where is your dining-room?" asked Mrs. Farrington.
"I'll show you," said Bert eagerly, "if you'll only go with me. It isn't
quite time to start yet, but it soon will be, and I'll take you to an
awfully jolly place and not a bit out of our way, either."
Mrs. Farrington agreed to go, and the rest eagerly accepted the
invitation, and after resting a little longer, the party leisurely
prepared to start.
At Bert's direction they spun along the Bois de Boulogne until they
reached the Pavilion d'Armenonville, one of those fairyland out-of-door
restaurants which abound in and near Paris.
As it was rather chilly to sit outside, they occupied a table in a
glass-protected court, and Bert proved himself a most satisfactory host.
"We've had an awfully jolly day," he observed, "at least I have, and I
hope the rest of you put in a good time. It's a satisfaction to feel
that we've done up Versailles, but I may as well confess that I didn't
go for that purpose so much as to spend a pleasant day with my friends."
Patty declared that she had enjoyed the society, not only of the friends
who went with her, but the companionship of the invisible ones, whose
presence seemed to haunt every nook and cranny of the palace and park.
As Patty looked about at their gaily decorated dining place, and looked
out at the brilliantly lighted scene outside, where the vari-coloured
electric lights hung in shining festoons, she came to the conclusion
that Paris was a gay and bright place after all, though when she had
entered it that first night, less than a week ago, she had thought it
rather dark and oppressive,
"It is dark," said Phil, as Patty expressed her thoughts; "to be sure, a
place like this is illuminated, but the streets are not half lighted,
and I think it's a shame."
"London streets at night aren't much better as to light," said Bert,
"but I say, you fellows, you just ought to see the streets in New York
at night. Whew! they're so bright they just dazzle you, don't they,
Patty?"
"Broadway does, but the other streets aren't so awfully light."
"Well, they're a lot lighter than they are over here. But Paris is the
worst of all. Why, I'm scared to be out after nightfall."
"If that's the case," said Mrs. Farrington, laughing, "we'd better be
starting now; and at any rate, it's high time my young charges were at
home. I hadn't expected Patty and Elise to indulge in quite such grown-
up gaieties as dining out here, but I hadn't the heart to refuse for
them your kind invitation."
Bert expressed his gratitude that Mrs. Farrington had made an exception
in his favour, and then the whole party started homeward.
When she reached there, Patty was so tired she could scarcely talk over
the pleasures of the day with Elise, and she tumbled into bed without so
much as a look at her beloved Vendome Column.
But the next day found the two girls entirely rested and quite ready for
more jaunting about.
But Mrs. Farrington declared that she could do no sightseeing that day,
as the somewhat fatiguing trip to Versailles made her quite contented to
rest quietly for a time.
So Patty employed her morning happily enough in writing letters home and
in arranging her post-card album.
"I'm so glad," she said to Elise, "that Clementine gave me this great
big album, for I see already it is none too large. I've taken out all
the New York views and laid them aside. I shall probably give them to
somebody, as there is no sense in carrying them home again. And I'm
filling the book with Paris views. Isn't it fortunate they invented
post-cards, for unmounted photographs do curl up so, and I hate those
little books of views."
"Indeed, it's fine, Patty, and you're arranging them beautifully. I
can't do that sort of thing at all; I'm as clumsy at it as a
hippopotamus. But I'd love to have a book like yours to take home."
"I'll give you this one," said Patty quickly, and she truly meant it,
for she was generous by nature, and, too, she was glad to give Elise
something that she really wanted.
"I wouldn't take it! you needn't think I'm a pig if I AM a
hippopotamus!"
"Well, I'll tell you what I will do, Elise. The first time we go
shopping we'll get a big album exactly like this, and then we'll always
get duplicate post-cards,--we have so far, anyway,--and I'll fix both
the books."
"Oh, Patty, that will be lovely! you do it so neatly and daintily; and I
always tear the corners and smudge the cards and every old thing. I wish
we could go and buy the book this very afternoon."
"We can't; your mother won't go; she's too tired, and she'd never let us
bob about Paris alone. And your father hates to shop, so he wouldn't
take us."
"I know it, Patty, but perhaps mother would let us go with Lisette.
Anyhow, I'm going to ask her."
"Why, yes," said Mrs. Farrington, when the project was laid before her;
"I see no reason why you shouldn't go out and do a little shopping in
charge of Lisette. She is a native French girl herself, she knows Paris
thoroughly, and she's most reliable and trustworthy. But you must
promise to do only what she allows you to do, and go only where she
advises. In this expedition she must direct, not you."
The girls willingly promised, saying that they only wanted to buy the
album and a few little things.
"Very well, then," said Mrs. Farrington; "you may go out for the
afternoon. I'm glad to have you out in the sunshine, and you'll also
enjoy looking at the pretty things in the shops."
So the girls arrayed themselves in their quiet pretty street costumes,
and with Lisette in her tidy black gown, they started out.
They walked at first along the Rue de Rivoli, fascinated with the lovely
trinkets in the shop windows. Unlike Mr. Farrington, Lisette did not
care how long her young charges tarried, nor was she averse to looking
at the pretty things herself.
"It's a funny thing," said Elise, as they came out of a shop, "that the
things in a window are always so much prettier than the things inside
the shop."
"That's Paris all over," said Patty; "I think the French not only put
the best foot forward, but the foot they hold back is usually not very
presentable."
"Yes, I believe that's true; and they always seem to make the best of
everything, and that's why they're so happy and light-hearted. But here
we are at a stationer's. Let's buy the album here."
The stationer's proved to be a most distracting place. They bought the
album, and then they discovered a counter piled with post-cards, in
which they were soon deeply absorbed.
"But you mustn't get so many, Elise," cried Patty, as she looked at the
great pile Elise had laid aside to buy. "It's no fun at all to get them
all at once and fill the book. Then it's all over. The fun is in
collecting them slowly, a few at a time."
"But I want all these, Patty, so why not take them now?"
"No, you don't, either. Now look here, Elise, I'm making your book for
you, so you take my advice in this matter, and you'll afterward admit
that I'm right."
"You're always right, Patty," said Elise, smiling lovingly at her
friend; "that's the worst of you! But I'll do as you say this time,
only don't let it occur again."
Patty laughed and allowed Elise to select cards illustrating the places
she had already seen, persuading her to leave the others until some
future time.
Then they looked round the shop further, and discovered many attractive
little souvenirs to take to friends at home.
"I think," said Patty, "I'll just buy some of these things right now.
For surely I could never find anything for Frank and Uncle Charlie
better than these queer little desk things. Aren't they unusual, Elise?
Are they rococo?"
"Patty," said Elise, in a stage whisper, "I hate to own up to it, but
really, I never did know what rococo meant! Isn't it something like
cloisonne, or is it ormolu?"
Patty laughed. "To be honest, Elise, I don't exactly know myself, but I
don't think you've struck it very closely. However, I'm going to buy
this inkstand; I don't care if it's made of gingerbread!"
"And here's a bronze Napoleon; didn't Marian want that?"
"Oh, yes, indeed she did! I'm so glad you discovered him. Isn't he a
dear little man? Just about three inches high; I believe the real
emperor wasn't much more than that. Isn't he on a funny little flat
pedestal?"
"It's a seal," explained the shopkeeper kindly.
"A seal!" echoed Patty blankly; "why no it isn't! a seal, indeed! why it
isn't a bit like a seal; you might just as well call it a Teddy Bear!
It's a man!"
Elise was giggling. "He doesn't mean that kind of a seal, Patty," she
said; "he means a seal to seal wax with."
"Oh," said Patty, giggling, too; "why, so much the better. I beg your
pardon, I'm sure, and I'm glad it's a seal. I can have Marian's monogram
cut on it, and she can seal her letters by just letting Napoleon jump on
them."
She left the order for the monogram, and the affable shopkeeper promised
to send the finished seal home the next day. He seemed greatly
interested in his two young customers, and had it not been for Lisette's
sharp eye he would have urged them to buy even more of his wares.
But the canny young French girl had no notion of letting her charges be
imposed upon, and she glared haughtily at the shopkeeper when he seemed
too officious.
As they were about to leave the shop, some young people entered, and to
the surprise of all, they proved to be the Van Ness girls and their
cousins.
The four young people were out by themselves, and though quite capable
of finding their way about alone, Lisette's French notions were a trifle
shocked at the unchaperoned crowd.
But Patty and Elise were so glad to see their friends again that they
gave little thought to conventions, and fell to chattering with all
their might.
"Why haven't you been to see us?" asked Alicia; "you had our address."
"I know," said Elise, "but we've been so busy ever since we've been here
that there hasn't seemed to be time for anything. But we're glad to see
you now, and isn't it jolly that we chanced to meet here?"
"Yes, indeed, because we're going on to-morrow,--on our travels, I mean,
and we wouldn't have had a chance to see you again. But now that we have
met, let's put in a jolly afternoon together. Where are you going?"
"Nowhere in particular; we're just walking around Paris."
"That's exactly our destination; so let's go nowhere in particular
together."
CHAPTER XIII
CHANTILLY
This plan seemed to please everybody except Lisette, who was a little
troubled to have her young ladies going around with these Chicago
people, of whom she did not quite approve.
But Patty only laughed at the anxious expression on the French girl's
face. She knew well what was passing in her mind, and she said to her
quietly: "It's all right, Lisette, they're our American friends, and I
assure you Mrs. Farrington won't mind a bit, since you are with us.
You're dragon enough to chaperon the whole State of Illinois."
It's doubtful if Lisette knew what the State of Illinois was, but she
was devoted to Patty, and waved her scruples in deference to Patty's
wishes, although she kept a stern watch on the big Van Ness boys.
But Bob and Guy behaved most decorously, and two more polite or well-
mannered young men could not have been found among the native Parisians
themselves.
Leaving the shop, they continued down the Rue de Rivoli till they
reached the Louvre.
Doris proposed their going in, and as Patty was most anxious to do so,
and Lisette saw no objection to visiting the great museum, they all
entered.
It was Patty's first glimpse of the great picture gallery, and she began
to wish she was not accompanied by the chattering crowd, that she might
wander about wherever her fancy directed. But she remembered she would
have ample opportunity for this all winter, so she willingly gave up her
own desire to please the Van Ness girls.
They cared little for pictures, but were really good historical
students, and they wanted to visit the rooms which contained curios and
relics of famous people.
So the whole crowd followed the lead of Doris and Alicia, who had
visited the Louvre before, and Patty found herself learning a great deal
from the experienced way in which the girls discussed the exhibits. She
found, too, that historical relics were more interesting than she had
supposed, and she almost sighed as she thought of the many things she
wanted to see and study during the winter.
"I hope you'll be here when we come back," Guy Van Ness said to her, as
they stood together, looking at some old miniatures.
"I hope so, too," said Patty. "When are you coming?"
"I don't know exactly; it depends on uncle's plans; but probably about
January."
"Oh, yes, we shall surely be here then, and probably living in a home of
our own. Of course, I mean a temporary home, but not a hotel. I hope you
will come to see us."
"Indeed I will. I wish we could have seen more of you this week, but
uncle has rushed us about sightseeing so fast that there was no time for
social calling."
"We saw Bert Chester and his crowd," said Patty; and then she told about
the day at Versailles.
"What a lark!" exclaimed Guy; "I wish I had been along. But you must go
somewhere with us when we're here in January, won't you?"
"I'd like to," said Patty, "but I can't promise. It all depends on the
Farringtons. I'm their guest, so of course I'm under their orders."
"Well, it won't be my fault if we don't have some fun when we come back
here," declared Guy, "and I shall do all I can to bring it about."
When they left the museum it was getting late in the afternoon, and
Lisette decreed that her young ladies must go home at once. The Van Ness
crowd raised great objection to this, but Lisette was obdurate, and
calling a cab, she ushered the girls in, and then getting in herself,
gave the order for home.
Patty couldn't help laughing at the serious way in which Lisette took
care of them, but Mrs. Farrington told her it was quite right, and she
would have been displeased had Lisette done otherwise.
"You don't quite understand, my dear," she said kindly, "the difference
between the conventions of Paris and our own New York. It may seem
foolish to you to be so carefully guarded, but I can't quite explain it
to you so you would understand it, and therefore I'm going to ask you to
obey my wishes without question, and more than that, when Lisette is
temporarily in charge of you to obey her."
"Indeed I will, dear Mrs. Farrington," said Patty heartily; "and truly I
wasn't rebelling the leastest mite. I'm more than ready to obey you, or
Lisette, either, only it struck me funny to be put into a cab, like
babies in a baby-carriage by their nursemaid."
"You're a good girl, Patty, and I don't foresee a bit of trouble in
taking care of you. To-morrow I shall feel better, and I'll go shopping
with you girls myself, and perhaps we may have time to look in at a few
other places."
So Patty danced away, quite content to take things as they came, and
sure that all the coming days were to be filled with all sorts of
novelties and pleasures.
Their purchases had been sent home, reaching there before they did
themselves, and Patty immediately fell to work on the albums, placing
the cards in the little slits which were cut in the leaves to receive
them.
The days flew by like Bandersnatches. Patty herself could not realise
what became of them. She wrote frequently to the people at home and
tried to include all of her young friends in America in her
correspondence, but it seemed to be impossible, and so finally she took
to writing long letters to Marian, and asking her to send the letters
round to the other girls after she had read them.
Mr. and Mrs. Farrington had begun their search for a furnished house
which they might rent for the winter. When they went to look at various
ones suggested to them by their agent, they did not take the girls with
them, as Mrs. Farrington said it was too serious a matter in which to
include two chattering children.
So Patty and Elise were left pretty much to their own devices while the
elder Farringtons went on these important errands.
But one bright morning when Mr. and Mrs. Farrington were preparing to
start off in the automobile for the day, Elise begged that she and Patty
might be allowed to go off on an excursion of some sort.
"Indeed, I think you ought," said Mr. Farrington kindly, "and I'll tell
you what I think would be a first-rate plan. How would you like to go
with Lisette to the Chateau of Chantilly for a day's outing? You could
go on one of those 'personally conducted tours,' in a big motor van,
with lots of other tourists."
"I think it will be lots of fun," cried Elise; "I've always wanted to
climb up on one of those moving mountains and go wabbling away."
"I, too," said Patty; "just for once I think that sort of thing would be
great fun."
"Then you must hustle to get ready," said Mr. Farrington, "for the
cavalcade sets off at ten o'clock, and I don't believe they'd wait, even
for two nice little girls like you. So run along and get your bonnets,
and be sure not to forget to remember to feed the carp."
"What is a carp?" asked Patty, as she and Elise ran away to dress.
"Fish, I think," said Elise, "but we'll probably find out when we get
there."
The girls were soon ready, and with Lisette they walked out in the
bright sunshine and along the Rue de la Paix until they came to the
corner where the personally conducted tourists were to start from.
Mr. Farrington had telephoned for tickets, so all they had to do was to
clamber into their seats. This was done by mounting a stepladder placed
at the side of the big vehicle. The seats of the van were graduated in
height, so that the back ones were as good as the front, and, indeed, a
full view of what was passing could be commanded from any position.
They had to wait until the tourists had all arrived, and then they
started off at a good speed toward the country.
"I feel as if I were riding in one of the old royal state carriages,"
said Patty, "although there isn't the slightest resemblance in the
vehicle, or the means of locomotion."
"No," said Elise, laughing; "nor in the people. I don't believe these
tourists bear much resemblance to the ladies and gentlemen who rode in
the Royal carriages. But I think it's more fun than our own car, because
we sit up so high and can see everything so well."
"And hear, too," said Patty, as they listened to the man in the front
seat, who had turned around and was announcing through a megaphone the
names of the places as they passed them.
"He seems to know his lesson pretty well," whispered Patty, "but his
French pronunciation is even worse than mine."
"Your pronunciation isn't so bad, Patty, but you haven't any vocabulary
to speak of."
"To speak with, you mean. But never you mind, miss; as soon as your
respected parents decide upon a house, and we get settled in it, I'm
going to study French like anything, and French history, too. I used to
hate these things, but times have changed since Patty came to Paris!"
"I'm glad you're so energetic, but I don't feel much like studying; I'd
rather drift around and have fun as we are doing."
"We'll have time enough for both, and you want to take some painting
lessons, don't you?"
"Yes; but seeing all the pictures I've seen since I've been here
discourages me. I used to think I was quite an artist, but I see now
that if I ever do anything really worth while, I'll have to begin all
over again and go into a drudgery drawing class."
"It won't be drudgery; you love it so, and you'll make rapid progress if
you're as desperately in earnest as all that. Do you think your mother
will decide to take that house they're going to look at to-day?"
"Yes, I think so; her mind is pretty well made up already. It must be a
lovely house, judging from what she says about it."
It was not very far to Chantilly, and when they reached there the girls
were almost sorry that the pleasant ride was ended.
The megaphone gentleman informed his personally conducted crowd that
they were to alight and eat luncheon before proceeding to the Chateau.
The hotel where they were to lunch was a quaint, old-fashioned house,
built around three sides of a garden. It was called the Hotel du Grand-
Conde, and Patty said, "I suppose we shall see and hear of nothing but
the Condes for the rest of the day. I believe the whole interest of
Chantilly centres in that Conde crowd."
"You seem to know a lot about it," said Elise banteringly.
"I've been reading up," confessed Patty, "and besides, La Grande
Mademoiselle has always been one of my favourite characters in French
history. She was a wonderful woman, and though not of the Condes, she is
mixed up in their history."
"She is an unknown quantity to me," said Elise, "but I'm willing to
learn, so tell me all you know, Patty; it won't take long."
"You'll get no instruction from me after that unflattering speech,"
retorted Patty, and then luncheon was announced, and the girls sat down
at the table reserved for them.
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