CHAPTER VII--DODO'S ELOPEMENT
"Dodo, your mother says we got to go with her to visit the Osgoods," Mr.Alexander informed his daughter, early the next morning at breakfast.
"Well, I won't! so there! I'm going with Polly and her friends, toParis. I just guess I can take up decorating if I want to, and Ma can'tstop me!" Dodo was really angry.
"I've been thinking, Dodo, that if we don't go down with Ma, she can'tgo there alone. Now she wants to go the worst way, but she won't care somuch whether we stay on or not--as long as she can hold on to theinvitation."
Dodo looked up quickly at her father's tone. "What do you mean, Pa?"
"Well, you see, we plan to go down in the car. We can carry all thetrunks and other traps, that way. But going down there doesn't say we'vegot to stay, does it?"
"N-o-o," agreed Dodo, beginning to see light.
"Well then, getting Ma down there, and you and I clearing out again, isall that I want to do. She will stay on and we will fly to Paris. How isthat?"
Dodo laughed merrily at the plot, but she still had to hear furtherparticulars. For instance, how did Pa expect to get away from the otherswithout suspicion, and on what plea would he get back to London?
"Say now, Do--you don't suspect me of telling to them people all Iexpect to do, do you? No, I'll just wait for night, and then you and Iwill elope together."
"Elope! Oh, Pa, how funny!" laughed Dodo, clapping her hands.
"Yeh, easy as pie, Do! Now listen to me. Ma gets all nicely settled thefirst night, and you have your little room by yourself. I go out for asmoke with my friend pipe--all by myself. I see you trying to steal awaywith your bundles, and a MAN! I hear a motor purr, and I see you andthat man get in a car--and off you tear. I foller you to London, andkeep right on your heels to Paris. There I catch you, and send word backto Ma to ease her mind.
"When she hears that you eloped with a _man_, and I went after, to catchyou, before you married someone we don't know about, she will be so gladthat she'll forgive me. And she won't dare say a word to you, becausethat will spoil her little game for Jimmy, see?
"The Osgoods will make her stay on with them, if they really plan toland our million, because they will need some link by which to win youback, see? If they think more of their _family_ than of our money,they'll let Ma go and join us in Paris.
"Now, Dodo, what you think of your Pa's little scheme?" laughed thelittle man, as he rubbed his hands together in glee.
"Say, Pa! It's a shame such a wonder as you should be hidden to theworld," exclaimed Dodo, admiringly.
"As long as it hides you and me until the storm blows over, will beenough to satisfy me," retorted Mr. Alexander.
At this moment, the Fabians and Ashbys entered the room, and Mr.Alexander winked at his daughter for secrecy on the subject they hadbeen discussing. Soon after the others sat down at the breakfast table,Mrs. Alexander joined them, and the conversation turned to theirparting.
"When do you plan to leave London, Mrs. Alexander?" asked Mr. Ashby,politely.
"Tomorrow, I hope. I want to fit Dodo up in some decent gowns before Itake her to such a fine place as Osgood Hall."
"When do you leave, Mr. Ashby?" asked Dodo.
"I expect to take Ruth and my wife down to my cousin's, at Brighton,this afternoon. Then I have to go to different towns, you know, tocollect things for my customers in the States."
"And you, Polly?" Dodo turned to the girl she liked best of those shehad met that summer.
"We are going to remain in London for a few days more, and see theMuseums and galleries, then go on to Paris."
"I wish I was going with you," said Dodo. "Maybe we can meet in Paris,soon, and I can go on with you-all to learn more of antiques anddecorating."
"That must be as your father and mother say, Dodo," Mr. Fabian nowremarked.
"I always said Dodo could do as she liked," quickly said Mr. Alexander.
"But my daughter will be with me down at Osgood Hall, so you won't belikely to cross each other's path again, in Europe," declared Mrs.Alexander, smilingly, although her tone expressed her determination.
The Ashbys left that afternoon, and Mrs. Alexander took Dodo shoppingfor more clothes. Then, in the morning, the car was brought to thehotel, and the girls went with Dodo to see her off.
"I sure feel as if I want to cry," whimpered Dodo, pretending to dab hereyes.
"We-all will miss you awfully, Dodo. You're a good pal and we had _such_good times with you!" sighed Polly.
"Let's hope we _will_ meet soon, in spite of Ma's sayin' our pathswouldn't cross each other again," grinned Mr. Alexander.
"Ebeneezer, do get started, won't you? Here we are sitting and holdingup everyone else!" snapped Mrs. Alexander.
So the car drove off, with Dodo waving her hand as long as she could seeher friends.
The Fabians and Polly and Eleanor visited the Victoria and Albert Museumthat day, finding many wonderful pieces to admire. Among bronzes,ivories, tapestries and other art objects, Mr. Fabian pointed outvarious bits of costly and famous work.
There was a reading-desk of the 15th century; several Florentine cofferswith fine carved panels; a beautiful cabinet decorated with Marquetry ofthe South German type, that hailed back to the 16th century. And in thePavilion, Polly found a lovely dressing-table of satin-wood from the18th century that reminded her of the piece she had bought down inSussex.
The second day at the Museum--for it took several days to do itthoroughly--they visited the rooms where all kinds of furniture areexhibited, from stately William and Mary chairs down to the tiniest offoot-stools and ottomans.
They were passing an odd group of chairs when Eleanor laughingly drewtheir attention to two. "Just look at that fat old roistering chairconversing with the thin straight-laced prig of a side-chair, next tohim."
Her description was so true of the two chairs, that her companionslaughed.
"Yes," said Mr. Fabian, "the stiff-backed puritanical chair is tellingthe fat old rascal what a coarse bourgeois manner he shows in such goodcompany."
"Daddy, how could such a clumsy chair ever get into this famous museum?"asked Nancy.
"Because it can claim antiquity," replied her father. "In early Englishtimes, when Squires and over-lords ruled the land, they spent most oftheir time in drinking and gambling. This chair is a type of them, is itnot?"
"It certainly is," agreed the girls.
"So you will find almost every period of furniture. They tell, truerthan one thinks at the time, of the type of people that makes and usesthem. You will find effeminate pieces in the reign of the Louis', andhard-looking furniture in German history. Our own American furnituretells, better than all else, of the mixing of nations in the'melting-pot.' Our furniture has no type, or style, individually itsown.
"The so-called sales advertised in department stores are symbolic ofwhat Americans are satisfied with: hodge-podge ready-made factorypieces, quickly glued together, and badly finished. As long as it isshowy, and can demand a high price, the average American is satisfied.And that is the great error we interior decorators have to correct--wehave to educate the people away from confusion and into art and beauty."
Having seen the best examples of old furniture on exhibition in theMuseum, Mr. Fabian prepared to go. As they walked quietly through thecorridor to the main entrance, he said impressively: "I consider yougirls have seen some of the best products to be found in the worldtoday. The results of many ideals and hard work.
"You must know, that a good ideal thought plans a perfect chair ortable; and that thought eventually expresses itself in the object itsees in mind. If the object is a thing of beauty and a joy forever, itelevates the whole world just that much. If it falls short of theartist's ideals and hopes, he must do it over again, sooner or later, toreach the perfect model in mind. Thus he expresses God (good) in hisideals. If he refuses to try again to perfect his work, he knows he hasfailed utterly and he has nothing but the result of lowering hisideal--failure and deformity
."
As he ceased speaking, Mr. Fabian found the girls were intenselyinterested in his little lecture, and he smiled as Polly cried: "Oh,tell us some more along that line, please!"
"Well, I wish to impress upon you that in your work you _must_ expressthe highest ideal or be a failure. Now God, Good, is Mind, and this Mindmust be expressed in countless manifestations to be seen by us._Unexpressed_ it is a non-entity, and does not exist. Art and beauty areforms of ideal manifestation, and this manifestation objectifies itselfin divan, lamp, rug or ornament, for you.
"To be a perfect thing, it must have God, or Mind, as its Creator, butthis God uses you, His child, as the channel through which He works. Ifyou obey that idealistic desire and work the best you know how, Godsends added understanding and assistance to help you perfect the object,thus it becomes good and true. Now evil works, too, but just in theopposite directions; hence, if you give in to greed, avarice,dishonesty, envy, or the multitude of weapons evil always has on hand totempt you with, you inevitably must produce an inharmonious result, andthe repelling effects that go to cause criticism and dissatisfactionwith all who thereafter look at the object.
"That is why that roistering armchair displeases a true and idealisticartist. It was not produced by a true and high-minded individual whohoped to bring forth a model of line and color, but who had only inmind, at the time, the production of a stout piece of furniture thatwould withstand the tests and offer a seat to the drunkards of thattime; and would also resist the fierce quarrels and fights so commonbetween gamblers who frequented the taverns of that day."
"I wish to goodness I knew as much as you do about all these interestingthings, Mr. Fabian!" declared Polly, yearningly.
"That is the sweetest praise a man can have, Polly dear; to wish tostand in my shoes in experience," smiled Mr. Fabian. "But the verydesire when truly entertained, will bring about the thing you soearnestly desire. For you know, 'Desire is prayer.'"
Mrs. Fabian smiling at her husband, now said, "Why not add a benedictionto this little sermonette, dear?" Then turning to the girls, she quoted:"'Give up imperfect models and illusive ideals; and so let us have oneGod (Good), One Mind, and that one perfect, producing His own models ofexcellence.'"
That evening, the clerk at the hotel office handed Mr. Fabian a card.
"Why, how strange!" remarked he, glancing again, at the pasteboard inhis hand.
"What is it?" asked Nancy, trying to look over his shoulder.
"The Alexanders were here. As we were out they left a card saying thatthey were going on to Paris, at once, and would see us at the hotelwhere we said we would stop."
"How very strange!" exclaimed Mrs. Fabian, while the girls wondered whathad happened to so suddenly change the minds of their friends.
"I never heard of anything like that. One day Mrs. Alexander was crazyto visit the Osgoods, and now they run away and are as crazy to reachParis," said Eleanor.
"I'm glad for Dodo's sake. The poor girl didn't want to go to OsgoodHall, at all, and I know how she felt about Jimmy," said Polly.
"Maybe that's what caused all the fuss. Dodo put down her foot andrefused him outright, and that made his folks too angry to forgive her,"said Eleanor, romancing.
"Well, now she can go along with us, can't she Daddy, and get all theinformation she wants, from visiting the places we go to."
"With her parents' consent, I should like to help Dodo to a higher planefor herself," returned Mr. Fabian.
As they started again for their rooms, Polly laughed at a sudden memory."Oh, maybe Ebeneezer's poisonous black pipe played such havoc at thefirst dinner at Osgood Hall, that the guests couldn't stand it, and hewas sent away with his friend."
Everyone laughed merrily at Polly's picture of Mr. Alexander and his oldfriend pipe.
The next day after the Fabian party returned from the last sight-seeingin London, a wire was handed the man of the group. He opened it hastily,and read aloud: "Send word when you leave for Paris. Will meet you attrain with car. Alexander."
"Now that is really nice of the little man, I say," added Mr. Fabian, ashe handed the message to his wife.
"Then you'd better wire him at once, for we plan to go tomorrow,"advised Mrs. Fabian.
Everything had been attended to in London, and the girls took a farewelllook at the city as they sped away to Dover where they expected to takethe Channel Boat for Havre.
Much has been said about the rough crossing of this little strip ofwater, but the girls found it as quiet as a mill-pond, and the steamerskimmed the waves like a sea-gull. The ride in the dusty train, fromHavre to Paris, was the most unpleasant part of the trip. But uponleaving the train at Paris, they saw Dodo and her father anxiouslyscanning the faces that passed by.
"Here we are, Dodo!" called Polly, eagerly, as she jumped forward andcaught her friend's hand.
"Dear me! I'm as glad to see you-all as I can be," cried Dodo, shakingeveryone eagerly by the hand.
"Yeh, you're a sight for sore eyes," remarked her father.
"We've only been in Paris a day and night, but Pa hasn't any French withhim, and I've only got a few words that I am always using mistakenly, sowe're happy to have someone who can speak and understand the lingo"laughed Dodo, happily.
They all got into the luxurious car that had carried them so many milesover England, and as they sank down upon the soft cushions, Polly said:"An automobile really is nicer than a hard old steam-tram."
Mrs. Fabian, always polite, asked: "How is your mother, Dodo?"
"Last time we saw her she was first class, thank you."
"She may be having high-sterics now, however," added Mr. Alexander,chucklingly.
"What do you mean? Isn't she well?" asked Mrs. Fabian.
"We _hope_ she is well, Mrs. Fabian, but we left her at Osgood Hall,while we eloped to Paris," laughed Dodo.
"Eloped! What _are_ you talking about, child?" demanded Mrs. Fabian,while the girls sat up, eager to hear a story.
"Pa and I just _had_ to elope, you know, to save our lives. We waiteduntil Ma got nicely settled with the family, then we got in the car andran away. We haven't heard, yet, in answer to our telegram from here, sowe're frightened to pieces lest Ma packs up and comes after us,"explained Dodo.
But this fear was quieted when they all went into the hotel and theclerk handed Mr. Alexander a message. He opened it with tremblingfingers, and suddenly sat down in a great chair.
"Goodness me, Pa! What is it? Is she coming for us?" cried Dodo, in anagony of suspense.
"No--that's why I caved in, Dodo. The relief was so turrible!" sighedthe little man.
Everyone felt sorry for these two, but the situation was so funny thatthey laughed in spite of their trying not to.
"Yes, laugh," giggled Dodo, "that's just what Pa and I did when we gotwell away on the road to London. When I think of how they must havelooked when they read the note I pinned on my cushion for Ma, I have tolaugh myself."
"What was in the note, Do?" asked Eleanor, curiously.
"I said I was eloping with the man I loved best on earth--which wastrue, you know. And I knew I could never be happy with a title, as longas I loved this everyday man. That was true, too. So I was fleeing withhim, to Paris, where I hoped to meet her some day and ask herforgiveness."
The girls laughed heartily at Dodo's note, and Polly said she wasawfully clever to think it out that way.
"Oh, but it was Pa who planned it all. And when we got to Paris, hewired back to Ma, saying: 'Got Dodo in time. Never laid eyes on thatyoung man, but will keep her safe with me. Better not try to join usyet, she may not want to be reminded of the good home and young man sheran away from.'"
"And this is what Ma wired back," said Mr. Alexander, sitting up to readthe message. "Just read Dodo's note about her elopement. Glad you areafter her, Eben. Don't let her marry any man, while there is a chance ofJimmy. Maggie."
"So now, folks, Ma is safe at Osgood Hall, and we are here, with ourcar, with you. What's to hinder us from taking yo
u all over Europe inthe old machine, eh?" eagerly asked Mr. Alexander.
"Your offer is very attractive, Mr. Alex," returned Mr. Fabian, "but Iam not in a position to accept it without consulting further with mywife and the girls."
"Why not? Here's a car and a fine chauffeur for you-all to use as youlike, and you admit that you're going to visit the big cities of Europe,and that means travel in some sort of way."
"Oh yes, that part of the plan is as you say," admitted Mr. Fabian, "butthere is more to it than mere travelling. You must understand that Mrs.Alexander has a claim on that car, too, and I don't see how we can touraway from Paris in her car without her knowledge and willing consent."
"Oh, as for that!" retorted the little husband, "she'd be only too gladto hear Dodo was safe with you folks on a tour. Diden' I tell you-allthat she's happy where she is, and nothin' can tear her away from theOsgoods, at present?"
"Besides that, I want to stay with you-all," added Dodo, plaintively."So that I can get more knowledge of decorating, because I've made up mymind, once and for all time, to go into a business as you girls proposedoing."
Mr. Fabian yearned to encourage the girl in her ambition, but he wasadamant when it came to using the Alexander car under the circumstances.All the persuasions of father and daughter could not move him from whathe considered to be a just decision.
There the matter was left for the time being, but Mr. Fabian was not sonarrow-minded that he refused to drive about Paris with the little man,on the different occasions when he and his party were invited to go.
The day after their arrival at the hotel in Paris, Polly said to Dodo:"Did your wedding-chest arrive here safely?"
"Yes, it came, and it's gone again."
"Gone again! Where?" said surprised Polly.
"Gone to Ruth--for her birthday gift," giggled Dodo.
"Not really! Why how wonderful for Ruth," exclaimed the girls in achorus.
Dodo smiled. "Don't you remember what I said to Ruth about a littlegift, the day we drove away from that old shop?"
"I remember, but no one dreamed you meant that _chest_," replied Polly.
"I made up my mind about it, the moment I found how Ma got it from underRuth's nose. That's why I made Ma say the chest was my very own--so shecould not come back at me and say I had no right to give it away."
"Dodo, you are splendid in your generous way of giving. If only everyonewas like you!" cried Polly, giving her a hug.
"There! That hug means more to me than a wedding-chest," laughed Dodo,pink with pleasure.
When Mrs. Fabian heard of the gift to Ruth she caught the girl's handand said: "Dodo, Ruth will be so happy, I know."
"Dear me, you-all make as much fuss over that chest as if I had to earnthe money for it. I can't forget that we have more cash than we can everspend honestly," declared Dodo.
When Mrs. Fabian told her husband about the gift and Dodo's point ofview about wealth, it had more influence with him than anyone could havethought for. He felt that Dodo and her father were really worth-whilecharacters, but there was a roughness about them that needed somepolishing before the purity and beauty of their souls would shine forthresplendently and make others appreciate them.
The streets of Paris were anything but good for motoring because of thebroken cobbles, and deep ruts in the roads. The disagreeable odors, too,created by poor sanitation in the city, caused Polly and her chums tocover their noses many a time.
"I like the wonders of Paris, but I can't say that I like the people andthe everyday annoyances," remarked Polly, one day.
"The shops are beautiful!" said Eleanor.
"And the signs--they are marvellous," added Dodo.
Mr. Fabian laughed at the individual tastes, and Mrs. Fabian said:"Well, we can't get away any too soon to please me."
"'Them's our sentiments, too,'" laughed Polly.
"I'll hate to leave the Bohemian Restaurants," sighed Nancy. "I alwaysdid like to sit under a tall palm and watch the people parade by, sonear me that I could reach out a hand and catch hold of them."
"Now that all but Mr. Alex and I have had a say I'll add, that I likeParis because of the marvellous collections for artists to visit, andprofit by," remarked Mr. Fabian.
"An' I like the gay town because no one bothers you. You can smoke apipe, or do any durn thing without someone's kickin'," added little Mr.Alexander.
His opinion drew a general laughter from the group.
From the first day of the arrival of Mr. Fabian and his party, littleMr. Alexander had daily exchanged messages with his wife, hoping in thatway, to receive one that would convince Mr. Fabian that he must make useof the car for the tour of the Continent. But he could not read hiswife's confused statements and feel that the right one had yet arrivedfor him to use in this need.
The day the girls started for the Louvre, Mr. Alexander and his car hadbeen refused because, they said, they would be busy in the Galleries allday and could not ask him to sit outside waiting for their appearance.
So they left him sitting at a writing table in the hotel, and startedfor the Louvre. As they approached the grounds of the famous museum,they were thrilled with the magnificence of the place.
"It is considered the finest museum in the world, and contains rarestnational collections of art and antiquity that date back as far asPhilippe Auguste, in 1180," explained Mr. Fabian. "Philippe Augustebuilt a fortress here to protect the walls of his hunting-box where ittouched the river. This old foundation can be seen by visitors oncertain days, and I arranged so that we would come on one of the days."
So the girls followed their escort down to the cellars, where the oldwalls were seen. But they were not deeply interested in foundations withno claim to beauty or value for the world, so they soon returned to theHalls where the antiques were on exhibition.
To reach the Rotonde D' Apollon, Mr. Fabian led the girls past Galleriesfilled with paintings, sculptures, ivories and other art treasures. Thenhaving seen these collections, they passed through a seventh centuryiron gateway brought from the Chateau de Maisons, and entered themagnificent room which was sixty-one metres long and was built in thetime of Henri IV. In this galerie, as in others following it, there wereshown such placques, vases, dishes, and other objects of art, that thebeholders were silent with admiration.
Beyond the Salle des Bronzes Antiques, where very fine examples ofbronzes were to be seen, the girls visited five rooms containing 17thand early 18th century furniture. Here they also found several exquisiteGobelin and Mortlake tapestries.
That evening the hotel clerk handed Mr. Fabian a legal looking envelope,which, upon being opened, proved to contain the passes necessary forvisitors to enter and see the famous tapestries woven by the GobelinSociety.
"Ah! Now you girls will see something worth while," remarked Mr. Fabian,holding the slips of paper above his head. "I have here the 'opensesame' to the National Manufactory of the Gobelins which still ishoused in the grounds of Louis the XVIth. There we may feast our eyes onsome of the examples of weaving that has made this Society so famous."
"When will we go?" asked Polly, eagerly.
"Tomorrow, the passes say."
Everyone expressed an eagerness to see these looms and the method ofmaking the tapestries, so it was planned that the entire party shouldgo, excepting Mr. Alexander who preferred a drive in his car afterleaving his friends at their destination.