CHAPTER VI
THE COUNTESS SOPHIA
To be at luncheon with a real countess? What bliss!
Not one of the "Automobile Girls" doubted, for an instant, thegenuineness of the Countess Sophia von Stolberg. Mrs. De Lancey Smythe'scalumnies carried no weight with the "Automobile Girls."
To-day the countess was more gentle, more beautiful than she had seemedat first. And there was less formality in her manner.
Mollie, who sat at her left at the luncheon table, quite lost thefeeling of awe that had taken possession of her the afternoon before.
Opposite the countess, at the other end of the table, sat the formidableMadame de Villiers, the old lady with the hooked nose and the bird-likeeyes. She, too, seemed to feel more amiable, for she watched her youngguests with an amused smile.
"Do you know what I believe Madame de Villiers was thinking all the timewe were at luncheon?" Ruth asked her friends, when they were discussingtheir visit the following day. "The amused look on her face seemed tosay: 'This is just another of the countess's pranks, asking thesestrangers to luncheon. But if they amuse her--why not!'"
Madame de Villiers, however, found Miss Sallie Stuart much to herliking. Perhaps this was because Miss Sallie was not in the least afraidof her, nor inclined to shrink from her, as so many people did.
The story of the morning's adventure had been told. The countess leanedadmiringly over the great bunch of yellow daffodils in the centre of thetable and smiled at Bab. Barbara's brown curls were still damp fromtheir recent wetting. "Were there no men on that part of the beach whenthe baby was drowning? Why did you have to risk your life in that way?"the countess asked.
"There were no men near," Ruth replied. "You see, it was very early inthe morning. Only the nurse girls and children were abroad."
"There was one man present!" exclaimed Mollie, with a spark of anger inher usually gentle blue eyes. "But he was a coward and ran away."
"The Count de Sonde! Oh, yes," continued Ruth, "I had forgotten him."
The countess look startled.
"The Count de Sonde!" she repeated in a puzzled fashion. "He refused tohelp? He ran away?" An expression of incredulity crossed her face.
"He most certainly did run," Mollie declared firmly. "I almost fell onmy knees to beg him to save Bab. But he did not even take time to refuseme. He simply ran away, so as to live to fight another day, I suppose."
"The Count de Sonde!" the young countess returned. "Ah, yes, he is theyoung Frenchman who was here yesterday. Then he is not a friend ofyours?"
"Certainly not, Countess Sophia," explained Mr. Stuart. "The young manis only a chance acquaintance, whom my friend Mr. Warren rescued from adifficulty yesterday."
"I, also, am but a chance acquaintance," smiled the young countess.
"Only you were the rescuer, and he was the rescued!" exclaimed Molliequickly, looking fondly at her pretty hostess, who pressed her handunder the table.
"We are not in the least interested in the count," Ruth remarkedbluntly. "We are civil to him because we are trying to help some one."
The countess looked puzzled.
Mr. Stuart laughed. "My dear Countess," he explained, "the 'AutomobileGirls' are not exactly Knights of the Round Table, but they have a kindof league of their own. I think they have formed a sort of Helping HandSociety. They have a pretty good theory that there is no reason why boysshould enjoy all the adventures and thrilling experiences. If there isanything to be done, why, do it! Isn't that the motto, girls? I thinkthe countess would be amazed if she knew what you have been through inthe way of adventure. Now, they have undertaken to look after amisguided maiden. And I think they are rather piling on the horrors inher case."
"Now, Father, you've no right to tease," protested Ruth. "You are thevery person who made us promise to stand by Maud Warren through thickand thin."
"So I did," agreed Mr. Stuart. "But I had no romantic notions that Maudwas to be protected from the Count de Sonde. I only consented to haveyou persuade Maud from certain undesirable associates by showing her howmuch more desirable you are. Now, I plainly see the object of yourprotective association has changed."
"Now, Father, you are teasing," exclaimed his daughter.
"How can you accuse me of any such thing?" replied Mr. Stuart, his eyestwinkling.
"He always teases," Ruth explained to the countess and Madame deVilliers. "It's second nature to him. He can't help it. But puttingaside all jesting, I am going to speak very plainly about severalthings. I am sorry to be obliged to backbite, but really and truly wedon't like Mrs. De Lancey Smythe. She is the most disagreeable person weknow, and we are going to try gradually to wean Maud Warren from her.Maud thinks that she is wonderful and a great society leader, but Ithink if one made careful inquiry into the matter, one would find hername among those missing from the social world."
"Ruth, my dear," expostulated Miss Stuart. "You are entirely tooimpetuous!"
"Do allow her to go on, Miss Stuart," begged Madame de Villiers. "She isone after my own heart. It is refreshing to find some one who is notafraid to speak plainly."
"Well," continued Ruth, highly elated at receiving the approbation ofthe stern old woman. "We are going to checkmate Mrs. D. L. S. at her owngame. She is trying to throw Maud in line with her own schemes. Enterthe 'Automobile Girls.' Exit the enemy. The first battle was fought onthe beach this morning, and the situation was strongly defended to thelast word by General Barbara Thurston."
"What do you mean, Ruth?" interrupted her father gravely.
Then Ruth launched forth with the account of Mrs. De Lancey Smythe'srudeness to Bab and Bab's reply. "Marian is all right," concluded Ruth,"but her mother is an entirely different proposition."
"So it would seem," murmured the countess thoughtfully. "But suppose thecount is really an eligible person, and has fallen in love, in earnestwith Miss Warren, and suppose that Miss Warren truly loves him, whatthen? Would Mr. Warren still be opposed to the marriage?"
"I don't know," replied Ruth doubtfully. "But you see Maud is a girl,and Mr. Warren feels that she is too young to know her own mind. He isafraid that the count's title has dazzled her, and he does not likeforeigners. He thinks we may be able to disabuse Maud of some of hersentimental ideas. Last night we four girls organized a secret societyfor the suppression of fortune hunters, and we thought perhaps you mighthelp us----"
"Ruth, my dear child!" protested Miss Sallie greatly shocked.
But old Madame de Villiers' eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Indeed, I shall be most happy to become a member of your secretsociety," rejoined the countess. "How exciting! It must be a real secretsociety, if we are to be serious. Let me see? We should arrange signalsand plan a campaign. If I am right, Miss Maud Warren needs to be treatedvery delicately and carefully, or she is likely to rebel. Is this notso?"
"That is just what we agreed last night," Ruth confessed.
"But how are we going to prove that Count de Sonde is a fortune-hunter?"argued Mollie. "For all we know, he may be immensely rich as well asillustrious."
"Oh, we shall have to prove that the count is not really in love withMademoiselle Warren," answered the countess, pinching Mollie's cheek.She was entering into their little game with a curious zest.
"Or you might prove that he is not a count," interposed Madame deVilliers, with an inscrutable expression on her grim old face.
"Do you believe that he is an impostor, Madame de Villiers?" inquiredMiss Sallie.
For a brief instant the countess's eyes met those of Madame de Villiers.
The old lady shrugged her shoulders and lifted her eyebrows in answer toMiss Sallie's question: "The world is so full of impostors, and Europeso full of counts," she said.
The countess blushed hotly. There was an awkward silence.
Miss Sallie was sorry she had spoken. But why should such an idlequestion cause annoyance? The young count was surely a stranger to hertwo hostesses. There was nothing to indicate that the young man was in
earnest about Maud Warren. He had simply paid her casual attentions forthe past few days.
"Shall you and I become members of this secret society, Madame deVilliers?" inquired Miss Stuart, to divert the conversation. "I supposewe had better be content with the posts of confidential agents. BecauseI assure you there is no limit to what this society may do."
"And I should prefer to be scout, guardsman, or messenger," agreed Mr.Stuart. "I, too, shrink from being an active member of such a vigorousorganization."
"Then let us leave these faithless people behind, girls," proposed theyoung countess. "Let us run away to the old boathouse and plan ourcampaign. We are not sure that we may safely confide to you our secretsignals, our hand clasps and our code," she protested to the olderpeople.
Madame de Villiers now led the way into the drawing room.
But the young countess ran lightly out of the house, followed by herfour girl guests. "We'll arrange our secrets while our elders take theircoffee on the balcony," she suggested.
When the countess and the "Automobile Girls" had disappeared, Madame deVilliers smiled a little apologetically at Miss Stuart and her brother."The countess is only a girl herself," she explained. "Of course, she isseveral years older than your girls. Yet, in many ways, she is stillsimply a child."
"She is very beautiful and charming," replied Miss Sallie cordially."You see how she has fascinated our girls."
"So she does everyone," replied Madame de Villiers, shaking her headsomewhat sadly.
In the meantime the five conspirators were absorbed in devising theirsignals. They were only joking, of course. Yet, somehow, the youngcountess entered so seriously into their make-believe that the girlsalmost forgot they were not in earnest. One thing they conscientiouslyagreed upon--Maud Warren was to be constantly invited to share theirpleasures with, or without, her objectionable friends.
"Must the Count de Sonde be permitted always to come along with us andMaud?" Grace queried. She had been taking little part in theconversation, for she had been industriously writing down a list ofsignals for their new organization.
"We must have him, if Maud won't come without him," replied Ruth. "Maudmust be won over to our side by flattering attentions. Suppose we startout being friends with her, by having another luncheon at our hotel.Will you come, Countess?"
The countess shook her head gently. "I am sorry," she replied a littlesoberly. "I--" she hesitated a moment. "I fear you will think me rude.But I have made it a rule never to appear at the hotels. I will doanything else. Suppose we give a picnic? Is not that what you call it inEnglish?"
"A picnic would be delightful," agreed Ruth politely. But she could nothelp wondering why the countess was not willing "to appear," as sheexpressed it, at the hotels.
"The signals are ready!" cried Grace. "There are two handshakes. The onewhich denotes danger is like this: Press the forefinger of one hand intothe palm of the other person's hand when you shake hands."
"That is very clever!" exclaimed the countess. She clasped Mollie'slittle hand. "Now, Mademoiselle Mollie, when you feel my finger pressyour palm like this, you will know that I am greatly in need of yourhelp."
"A white ribbon bow worn on the left shoulder, means that a secretmeeting must be called at once!" Grace declaimed.
"And a blue ribbon bow, worn instead of a white one, proclaims: 'I haveimportant information to communicate,'" added the Countess Sophia. "ButI should have a special signal by which to summon you. Let me see. Imust be able to signal you from a distance. If I fasten a red flag toone of these posts in the day time you must know that I want to see youvery much."
"But what about a night signal?" asked Grace, who was taking the signalsvery seriously.
The countess laughed. "If ever you should happen to see a bright lightshining in the tower of my villa, come to me at once. I shall be ingreat danger. Now, is not that exciting?" she cried, clasping her handsand smiling at the little company.
At this moment there came a sound of oars dipping in the water. A boatglided from under the pavilion, which was built out over the water. Theboat must have been hugging the shore until it reached the boathouse.Then it made for the open water. In the boat was one man. Andimmediately the countess and the four "Automobile Girls" recognized him.He was the Frenchman, Monsier Duval!
"I wonder if he has been eavesdropping?" asked Ruth indignantly.
"Oh well, he has heard nothing but make-believe," the countess repliedlightly, as she led her guests back to the villa.