CHAPTER VIII A Home in Versailles
It was toward dusk.
In a large, low grate inside a French drawing-room a freshly lighted firewas burning. Curtains of heavy, dark red silk were closely drawn over thelong windows.
Before the fire a young girl was seated in a chair beside a MadameRecamier couch upon which an older woman was lying.
They were both apparently dressed for a late dinner, the girl in acostume of dull blue crepe, her companion in what appeared to be acombination of tea gown and dinner dress. The gown was of pale grey silkand chiffon with a lining of rose. The sofa was piled with a number ofgrey and rose colored cushions.
The drawing-room was a fashionable one revealing wealth and taste in itsfurnishings and following the usual French design.
The walls were ivory in tone and embellished with garlands of cupids andflowers. The larger rug, which covered the entire floor, was of Frenchtapestry, the furniture of the drawing-room had been copied from a set ofthe furniture of the great Napoleon, preserved in the Louvre Gallery inParis.
On the white mantel there was a tall French clock and two beautifulSevres vases and a small crystal bowl of flowers.
The woman and girl evidently had been talking for some time.
"Well, Bettina," Mrs. Burton continued, "after all perhaps you are fairlyfortunate to have gotten out of last night's adventure as well as youhave! You look a little more rested since your sleep and you insist youhave not taken cold. Last night there was nothing which could occur inthe most sensational novel, which I did not imagine had happened to you.Yet what did occur was more unexpected and more picturesque than any ofmy fears!"
Bettina smiled.
"A pity, wasn't it, that such a romantic experience should have befallenme rather than one of the other Camp Fire girls! I am really such aprosaic person! All night I did my best to entertain myself by composinga long drawn out story for my own amusement, and yet all the time I knewthat I was cold and hungry and dreadfully homesick for you. I reallynever shed a tear, although I should have liked to shed floods of them.But I am sorry you had to suffer such anxiety. Small wonder that AuntPatricia received my return so ungraciously. I believe her first remarkwhen we met in the hall, was, that either I was to sail for home at once,or you were, as she would not have you so harassed.
"I found it somewhat difficult under the circumstances to maintain mydignity before my rescuer, when Aunt Patricia began her lecture. If I hadnot showed signs of breaking down and demanded to be taken to you atonce, goodness knows what might not have happened!
"I was sorry to leave Mr. Hale with Aunt Patricia when he had been sokind; I suppose he received the rest of the lecture which was intendedfor me. At present I am grateful to possess a distinguished father; notonly did Mr. Hale know him, but when he explained to the French officialsthat I was Senator Graham's daughter, they became much more lenient intheir manner toward me. Perhaps though I am not yet through theunfortunate results of my curiosity. It would not surprise me if I werekept under surveillance for some time by the French authorities. Theymust be convinced I had no sinister motive in concealing myself in thesecret garden. The old gardener helped me by explaining that he hadaccidentally left the little gate open and closed it before dusk withoutentering the garden again."
Stretching out her hand Mrs. Burton now placed it on Bettina's hair, litwith gold from the flame of the fire.
"Promise me, Bettina, and each one of you Camp Fire girls must make methe same promise, you are never to go out alone again while we aretogether in France. I was worried over Sally's coming back without you,although I then supposed you to be with Peggy and Ralph. In fact I didnot know you had not returned with them until hours later. Aunt Patriciainsisted that the information be kept a secret from me and ordered me tolie down in my own room under the usual pretence of my health. But Ithink I was suspicious all evening. I always feel restless when anythingis going wrong with one of you Camp Fire girls, and hearing the talkingand confusion in the house later in the night I demanded to be told thedifficulty. You must forgive Aunt Patricia's reception of you, however,Bettina as she was wretched about you. You know she is devoted to yourmother and we both had visions of having to cable to your father andmother that their beloved daughter had vanished, been swallowed up inthis foreign land.
"But don't worry over Aunt Patricia's treatment of your new acquaintance,Mr. Hale. She is as grateful to him as you and I, rather more so, sinceshe has asked him to dine with us tonight when I should have preferred tohave you girls alone."
At this moment Mrs. Burton leaned back upon the cushions of her couch,while Bettina gazed into the fire without replying. She was more unhappyover the events of the past night than she wished to confess.
Undoubtedly her mother would be seriously annoyed when the story of herescapade reached her. Before the present occasion Bettina had offendedher mother's ideas of conventional propriety, and she had really solittle excuse for last night's proceeding. Was there a possibility thatthe French authorities at Versailles might report the matter and that herfather might be asked to substantiate her story?
Without realizing what she was doing, Bettina sighed.
"Don't worry, Bettina," Mrs. Burton answered, divining her train ofthought. "I will write your mother immediately and explain the situation.It was my fault to have allowed you girls to go into the Park tooindependently. Your mother is always convinced of my innateunconventionality and that I need some one to look after me as much asyou do.
"Besides, don't let us take a simple circumstance too seriously. I muchprefer there be as little discussion as possible of your recentadventure. I mean to speak of this to Mr. Hale when he dines with ustonight and I am sure he will agree with me. We do not wish any gossip inthe village, or any chance for the newspapers to get hold of the story.
"I am rather amused over Aunt Patricia. It is my idea that we are to haverather a superior dinner tonight in order to impress this Mr. David Hale,who by the way has an extremely nice name and agreeable manners. AuntPatricia may protest that our present elegance is a reward to you CampFire girls for the simplicity and hard work at our farmhouse on theAisne, and also to restore me more speedily to health. But I don't thinkshe is above enjoying our temporary grandeur herself and of showing offjust the least little bit to other people. I have also observed thatviolent as her attacks are upon men in a general fashion, she is alwaysapt to take their side in a personal situation. I never have the leasthope of her assuming I am ever right in any argument I may have with myhusband. Now she and Captain Burton are determined to send me back to theUnited States as soon as our stay at Versailles is ended, while I wantvery much to spend the summer in England before we return home."
As Mrs. Burton had intended it should be, Bettina's attention wasdiverted from her own difficulty.
"Don't try to explain Aunt Patricia to any one of her present family atthis late date," she replied, smiling reminiscently. "I think your groupof Camp Fire girls has come to understand her fairly well by this time.At least we feel we owe your life to the splendid fight she made for yourlife after you were wounded by the German shell. When both the surgeonfrom Paris and Captain Burton had no further hope, she would fight on.
"Then think of all she has done for us since our arrival in gloriousFrance, first at our farmhouse on the Aisne and now as guests in thischarming French house! Why, we are actually wearing the clothes she hasinsisted upon having made for us, not only that we may be dressed in aproper holiday fashion to celebrate the approach of peace, but that shemay keep her little French dressmaker Marguerite Arnot, her latestprotege, constantly employed. What an artist Marguerite is! If I couldpersuade her to return to Washington with me, mother would forgive meevery fault.
"I suppose you also know that she rented this house in Versailles notalone for our pleasure and because it is such a charming home, butbecause she heard that Madame Foret, whom we met at our pension in Paris,had no other income le
ft since the war save the income from this house.She has two little girls to support; both her sons were killed in thewar!"
Mrs. Burton nodded.
"Yes, Aunt Patricia's kindness leaves one nearly defenceless. It isdreadfully difficult sometimes to be forced to disagree with her."
She was silent a moment and then added:
"Sometimes, do you know, Bettina, I feel it is selfish even to rejoiceover the approach of peace! There is still so much sorrow and sufferingin the world! Only this morning I received a letter from my sister, Mrs.Webster, saying that her son, Dan Webster, is still a prisoner inGermany. I am glad not to have heard of his imprisonment until the warwas over; I suppose now he will be released very soon. Moreover, Yvonnecontinues to worry over not receiving a letter from her brother,Lieutenant Fleury, although she knows he is only doing border duty withthe Army of Occupation. I presume she fears he has not completelyrecovered from the injury through which Sally Ashton nursed him in such asurprising fashion."
A moment Bettina gazed at the older woman, hesitating to ask a question.Then she said slowly and with some embarrassment:
"I know it is one of our Camp Fire rules not to gossip about one another.But do you mind telling me, Tante, what do you think has caused thechange in Sally Ashton? She is so unlike the Sally we formerly knew! Yetshe declares there is nothing the matter and is angry if one suggests sheis ill. The doctor Sally saw in Paris said she had suffered a nervousbreakdown. Perhaps it is absurdly sentimental of me, but I have wonderedif she could have fallen in love with Lieutenant Fleury after her care ofhim?"
Sitting up a second time and resting her chin upon her hands, with thepalms folded together in a characteristic attitude, Mrs. Burton answered:
"No, we must not gossip, Bettina dear. Yet I must say I am as much in thedark as you can be over Sally. So far she has not taken me into herconfidence. If anything has made her unhappy in the past, or is troublingher now, Aunt Patricia alone may have some idea of the cause. I saw thetransformation in Sally on the very day we met along the roadside duringour retreat with the French refugees toward Paris. At that time I did notlike to ask Sally what had affected her so seriously and I have neverasked her since then.
"It is my own impression that something unfortunate must have occurred inthe few days which Sally spent with Vera Lagerloff and Aunt Patricia atthe farmhouse, after the rest of us started on in advance to the ChateauYvonne. Sometimes I wonder if any of you girls will go back to your owncountry in the least like you were when we came to France to organize thefirst French Camp Fire? I suppose not, you have seen too much of courageand suffering among the French people. But I hope you will spare me anyother engagement than Peggy's and Ralph's. I do wish you children werenot growing up and away from our Camp Fire life together. You make mefeel so dreadfully old these days!"
"But geniuses never grow old, do they?" Bettina asked, and then as Mrs.Burton smiled at her tactful rejoinder, Bettina added: "Don't worry overme. But there is something I wish to suggest. Suppose we have a Camp Firemeeting as soon as there is an opportunity and discuss what work weshould undertake in the next few months, while we await the coming ofpeace! Now the war has ended we must begin to make other plans. I wasthinking of this last night as well as of my French romance in the longhours I was alone."
Just as the Camp Fire guardian was about to reply, suddenly thedrawing-room door opened and two persons entered the room. They were MissPatricia Lord and Sally Ashton.
Immediately Miss Patricia switched on the electric lights so that theroom, which had been in semi-darkness the instant before, at once becameilluminated.
"What in the world are you and Bettina doing here in the dark, Polly? Inever can endure darkness. I presume you are exchanging confidences andrejoicing over Bettina's last night's adventure, since you both are moreromantic than sensible. Personally I am very much ashamed of such anescapade, and as a Camp Fire guardian you should be equally so. However,I do wish you and Bettina would both go to your rooms and dress fordinner. I hope to induce Mr. Hale to realize we are not the character ofpeople he must suppose us to be. The young man tells me he is associatedwith the work of the Peace Conference. I presume he has heard that youare an actress, Polly Burton, and so naturally expects to find us allBohemians."
Always sensitive to any criticism of her career, Mrs. Burton flushed, butanswered good naturedly:
"Very well, Aunt Patricia, I shall try to be as conventional tonight aspossible, to persuade Bettina's rescuer that we do not ordinarily permitour Camp Fire girls to spend their nights alone in secret gardens. But sofar as dressing is concerned, why Bettina and I are both under theimpression we are already dressed. We had our tea together in my room,where we were both lying down, and dressed afterwards."
Miss Patricia Lord, who was wearing a dingy black costume which she hadpurchased at a reduced price some months before at the Bon Marche and hadworn almost constantly since, now eyed Mrs. Burton's grey and rosecolored gown with extreme disfavor.
"You were not intending to appear at dinner in your dressing gown, wereyou, Polly Burton? Is that your idea of making a suitable impression uponour guest? I had a gown sent to you today from a shop in Paris. It is nowon your bed ready for you to put on. If you do not happen to like it, itdoes not matter as I admire it very much. It will make you look olderthan the absurd clothes you ordinarily wear and is also more appropriatefor a Camp Fire guardian. Sally Ashton will go to your room with you andhelp you to dress. Not that you should require assistance, or that yourmaid Marie is ever occupied with useful work, but because Sally hassomething she wishes to say to you alone."
Miss Patricia's manner then became slightly more gracious.
"You are looking fairly well, Bettina. Marguerite seems to have a giftfor understanding the style of costume each one of you Camp Fire girlsshould affect. You need not change your dress unless you like. Dinner isto be served at eight."
The Camp Fire Girls in Glorious France Page 8
