CHAPTER IX
PARIS
The next morning the girls spent in packing and getting ready to goashore. "I'm sure I don't know where all these things came from," saidPatty; "but I know I have just about twice as many earthly possessionsas 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 westarted, and we must be greedies, because we haven't given anythingaway, and now what shall we do with them?"
"Let's give a lot away," said Patty. "We've pretty much read all wewant to of this mountain of light literature. Let's give it all to thestewardess; and what do you think, Elise, about giving Yankee Doodle tothe captain? He is a blessed old bear, and I hate to look forward tolife without him, but I don't see how we can cart him to Paris, unlesswe 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 Iknow she wouldn't want to do it. Yes, let's give him to the captain asa souvenir of our trip."
This plan was carried out, and the captain was really delighted at thecomical gift. He said he should always keep it as a remembrance of thedonors, and he hoped that when they returned to America they wouldagain travel on his ship.
The steamer stopped at Plymouth and then went straight on to Havre.Everybody was in a great state of excitement; passengers were gettingoff and mails getting on at Plymouth, and plenty of wonderful andinteresting things to look at as they sailed along the channel.
Patty felt truly sorry to say good-bye to many of the friends she hadmade on board. But from others she would not be parted until theyreached Paris. The Van Ness party, the old Ma'amselle, Florrie Nash,Bert Chester, and Mr. Pauvret were all going in the special train toParis, as the Farringtons were.
Patty thought this meant they could all travel together, but to hersurprise she found the French trains very different from those onAmerican railroads.
The special boat-train which they were to take left directly from thesteamer's dock and was an express direct to Paris without stop, landingthem there in less than four hours.
The Farrington party had a whole compartment in this train, and as acompartment only holds six people, they comfortably filled it, usingthe extra seat for hand luggage and so forth.
Patty thought the appointments more luxurious than our ownparlour-cars, for the seats were beautifully upholstered in apearl-grey material, and everything was lavishly decorated, after theFrench fashion. All of these compartments opened on to a corridor whichran along the side of the car, and Patty soon discovered that thus shecould visit her neighbours in the other compartments.
Both Patty and Elise were greatly excited and interested in watchingthe French landscapes, and trying to make out the names of the townsthrough which they rapidly flew. But with the exception of some of thelarger towns they could not read the names, and so gave that up for themore interesting occupation of watching the villages and hamlets asthey succeeded each other.
Bert Chester came in to visit them, and expressed a hope that he mightsee them in Paris.
He was to remain there only a week, and then he was to join some of hisfriends, some young Englishmen, and go for a short motor tour insouthern France.
Mr. Farrington said that he expected to take his party motoring alongthe same route, but did not expect to go at present.
Young Chester was sorry that they could not go together, but said thatperhaps when Mr. Farrington was ready he and his friends would comeover again for another spin.
Bert Chester was a son of a wealthy English squire, and thoughdistinctly British in his ways, was broad-minded enough to likeAmericans, and moreover was a young man of innate politeness andaffable manners. The elder Farringtons liked him extremely, andcordially invited him to come to see them while in Paris.
"We sha'n't have a house of our own just at first," explained Elise;"we're going to a hotel while father and mother look around and selecta house for the winter."
"I'm glad," said Patty, "to go to a hotel first. I've never stayed at abig hotel, and I'm sure it will be delightful for a time."
[Illustration with caption: "The next morning the girls spent inpacking and getting ready to go ashore"]
"You'll like the one you're going to," said Chester. "The Ritz isreally the old palace of the Castiglione, an ancient French family, andthough it is, of course, somewhat rebuilt, much of the originalremains, especially the beautiful old garden with its wonderful treesand fountain. I'll give you a day or two to 'find yourselves,' and thenI shall come around to call, and shall expect you to be glad to see me."
"We'll be very glad to see you," said Patty cordially, for she had asincere liking for the young Englishman.
Then Patty and Elise went with Bert to look in for a little chat withthe Van Ness party. Although Patty liked the Van Ness girls in a way,she was rather relieved to find that they were not going to the samehotel.
Patty had an intuitive sense of the fitness of things, and she couldn'thelp thinking that the Van Ness sisters, though good-hearted andgood-natured, were of a type apt to be a trifle too conspicuous in alarge hotel. The Farringtons were quiet-mannered folk, and Patty hadoften noticed and admired the dignified yet pleasant manner which Mr.Farrington invariably showed to officials or to servants.
He never gave orders in a loud voice or dictatorial manner, yet hisorders were always carried out obediently and willingly, and everybodyshowed him the greatest respect and deference. Mr. Van Ness on theother hand was imperious and ostentatious. He was prone to be critical,and often became annoyed at trifles. Patty was rapidly learning thatthe true character can be very easily discovered among one's travellingcompanions. There is something about the friction of travel that bringsout all that is worst and best in one's disposition.
And so when Patty found that the Van Nesses were going to a differenthotel from themselves she was really glad, though she hoped to see themoccasionally during their stay in Paris.
The train reached the Gare du Nord at about six o'clock, and when ourparty went into the rather dimly lighted station Patty thought she hadnever before seen such pandemonium. Everybody seemed to be in troubleof some sort. Some were running hither and thither, exclaiming andexpostulating, but apparently to no avail. Others sat hopelessly andhelplessly on their own luggage, seeming to despair of ever getting anyfurther.
The luggage room was an immense place, stone-floored and rather damp.There were several separate counters where passengers were supposed toattend to the checking of their baggage; but though there were plentyof officials and porters about, none of them seemed anxious or evenwilling to wait upon anybody. Patty saw many people appeal to one manafter another in a vain hope of getting their wants attended to. But itseemed to be almost impossible. To those who could not speak French thesituation was hopeless indeed. Patty watched one poor lady, who seemedto be travelling alone, and who continually inquired of the stolid andunobliging porters, "Do you speak English?" and invariably received thereply, "Non, madame; non, madame." The lonely little lady seemed to bein despair, and Patty wished she could help her, but she did not knowherself what made the difficulty. At last she discovered that it wasnecessary to get a customs inspector and a porter and a railwayofficial all together in one place and at one time. This done, the restwas easy, at least to the traveller who knew sufficient French to makehis wants known.
This Mr. Farrington managed to accomplish after some delay. Theofficial ceremonies then being soon over, and our travellers havingrepeatedly declared that they were transporting nothing eatable, theywere allowed to drive away in cabs. The cabs in Paris are of the low,open pattern, like a victoria, and they looked very strange andinformal to Patty, who had never seen any but closed cabs or hansoms.Mr. and Mrs. Farrington rode in the first cab, which was followed byanother, containing Patty and Elise, with Lisette, who sat on thesmall, folding front seat.
Patty held her breath with excitement when
she realised that she was inParis at last.
They drove through the streets, which were not very well lighted,gazing eagerly at the strange sights everywhere about them.
Their hotel was in the Place Vendome, and the drive there from thestation was not through the beautiful boulevards, but through somenarrow and not particularly clean streets.
But when they rolled into the Rue de la Paix and drove toward the PlaceVendome, the girls began to think that Paris was beautiful, after all.
It was rather more than dusk, but not dark, and the great square, withits circumference of colonnaded buildings, and the wonderful column inthe centre, was exceedingly impressive, and filled Patty's soul with arapturous awe.
"Oh, Elise," she cried, grasping her companion's hand; "I neversupposed Paris would be like this! I thought it would be bright and gayand festive; but instead of that, it's grand and solemn andawe-inspiring."
"So it is, here," said Elise; "but there is plenty of brightness andgaiety in some parts of the city, I expect. Of course, this is historicground, and I suppose it was pretty much as it is now in the days whenthey were building French history. That's Napoleon on top of thatstatue, though you can't recognise him from here. You know about thecolumn, of course. It's been overthrown and rebuilt three or fourtimes."
"Yes, I remember studying about it in French history. It was torn downat the time of the Commune, and later re-erected from the fragments.But you know when you study those dry facts they don't seem to meananything; but to be here, really in Paris, looking at that wonderfulcolumn, in this dusky light, and the stars just beginning to show--oh,Elise, it's more like fairy tales than history!"
"I love it, too," said Elise; "and I'm so glad to be here with you. Oh,Patty, we are going to have a beautiful time!"
"Well, I rather guess we are!" said Patty, with true Yankee enthusiasm.
Then their cabs drove in at the arched entrance of the Hotel Ritz, anda most important looking personage in blue uniform assisted them toalight. Other attendants in unostentatious livery swung open the glassdoors and our party entered. The proprietor, who advanced to meet them,was a courtly, polite Frenchman, in correct evening dress, whose suaveand deferential manner was truly typical of his race. He seemed to takea personal interest in his newly arrived guests, and himself conductedthem to their apartments.
Patty followed with the rest, feeling almost like pinching herself tosee if she were awake or in an enchanted dream. The hotel wasparticularly beautiful, and the furnishings unlike any she had everseen before. Carpets, furniture, and decorations were all in the palesttints of lovely colours. Doors and windows and many of the partitionedwalls were of glass, in ornate gilt frames, through which one could seefascinating rooms beyond. A few choice pictures hung on the walls, andhere and there were French cabinets of curios and rare laces.
The elevator seemed to be entirely of glass, and was furnished withdainty white upholstery and gilded woodwork. Bouquets of fresh flowerswere here and there on small tables in the rooms and halls.
The suite of rooms allotted to the Farringtons looked out upon thePlace Vendome, and Patty flew to the window to gaze again upon thebeautiful scene.
The rooms were daintily furnished with the same exquisite taste thatprevailed throughout the house. Lace curtains framed the deep-seatedwindows, an Empire clock and candelabra graced the carved mantel, andthe furniture was rich and abundant.
"I don't think," said Patty, "that I ever saw a more beautiful palace.And I'm so glad I'm here I don't know what to do! Just think of it,Elise, we'll live here in this lovely room for a fortnight anyway!"
"It is lovely," said Elise; "but I expect we'll get tired of hotel lifeand be glad to have a home of our own."
"Very likely," said Patty, with a little sigh of content; "but I shallbe perfectly happy wherever we are."
"I believe you will, Patty," said Elise, laughing; "you love thisbeautiful place, but if it hadn't been half as pretty, you would havemade just as much fuss over it."
"I know it," said Patty, rather apologetically; "but I can't help it,Elise. I seem to be made that way. When I like anything, you know, Ienjoy it just as much as I possibly can, and that's all I can do,anyway."
The room which the two girls were to share was a large double-beddedapartment, with dressing rooms and bath adjoining. It was perfect inevery detail of comfort and luxury as well as beauty, but when Lisettecame in to assist the girls in dressing for dinner she found them bothhanging out of the front windows gazing at the Vendome Column.
However, they expressed themselves as quite ready to prepare fordinner, and after doning pretty light costumes, they joined Mr. andMrs. Farrington, and went down to the dining-room.
The dining-room proper of the hotel was an indoor apartment, but allthrough the summer the guests were accustomed to dine under the opensky, at small tables in the garden.
Owing to an unusually late season, it was still warm enough to dineoutside, and when Patty saw the scene in the garden she thought Pariswas fairyland indeed. Though called a garden, it was really astone-paved court, but all round its edge on two sides were large oldtrees with gnarled and twisted trunks and thick foliage of glossygreen. Under the trees were flower-beds full of blossoming plants, andin the branches of the trees themselves were hung vari-coloured globesof electric lights about the size of an orange. The effect of thesebrilliant spheres in the dark trees was as beautiful as it was unusual,and the scene was further made bright by arches and festoons ofbrilliant coloured lights, which crossed and twined above their headsin every direction. At the end of the garden was an immense fountainsurrounded by statues, and playing many jets of water, which flashedand sparkled in the light.
Around two sides of the garden ran the verandas of the hotel, and thediners could sit on these verandas or out in the open, as theypreferred.
The gay scene was completed by the throngs of people; the French womenin their dainty costumes, the French men with their correct garb anddemeanour, as well as a good sprinkling of strangers from othercountries.
So interested was Patty in looking at it all that she declared shedidn't want a thing to eat. But when the choice selections of Frenchcookery were placed before her, she changed her mind and did fulljustice to the repast.
After dinner they sat for a short time in the drawing-room, and thenMr. Farrington declared they must all go to rest, as he had planned abusy day for them on the morrow.