CHAPTER XIII.
THE ESCAPE.
The following day was damp and dark, and the weather showed no signs ofimproving, which was depressing for those who had great plans afoot.Mademoiselle Therese thought Barbara was showing signs of madness whenshe proposed going to the baths, and was not a little annoyed when herdisapproval failed to turn the girl from her purpose. Barbara hadgrave doubts about Alice being allowed to go, but she felt _she_, atleast, must at all costs be there. She had time to remind the bath-boyof his bargain, and to promise him something extra when next she came,if he were true to his word, and was just ready to return home, whenAlice arrived with the old maid. She succeeded in giving her a littlepiece of paper with some directions on it, but was able to say nothing;and, after a mere nod, left the bath-house.
She was very curious to see where the window by which the girl was toescape opened, and, going down the passage that ran along the side ofthe building, found that it opened into a yard, which seemed thestorehouse for old rubbish--a safe enough place to alight in. When shereturned to the street she saw the "Pretender" coming along, wheelingtwo bicycles; and her relief at seeing him was mingled with compunctionat giving him such a lot of trouble.
It really was rather cool to drag a comparative stranger into such amatter, even if his good nature had prompted him to offer hisassistance. But, somehow, the mere fact of his talking English hadseemed to do away with the need of formal introduction, and theknowledge that his uncle had known Miss Britton in bygone days would bea certificate of respectability sufficient to satisfy her mother, shethought.
"I _am_ so sorry it's wet," she said. "It makes it so much worse foryou to be hanging about."
"It _is_ hardly the day one would choose for a bicycle ride," hereturned cheerfully; "but, like the conductors in Cook's Tours, I feelI have been chartered for the run, and weather must make no difference.But you should go straight home. It would be too conspicuous to have_two_ people loitering about. I will let you know as soon as possiblehow things go, and if you don't hear till to-morrow, it will mean weare safely on our journey."
Barbara saw the wisdom of returning at once, but did so withreluctance, and, finding that she was quite unable to give properattention to her work, wrote a long letter home, relieving her mind byrecounting the adventure in full. It was a good thing that the firstplan--of hiding Alice in the neighbouring house--had not been carriedout, for, about three quarters of an hour later, Mademoiselle Eugeniecame hurrying up to see if the girl was with them, and on hearing shewas not, at once proposed--with a suspicious glance at Barbara--thatshe should inquire at the next house.
She asked the girl no questions, however, perhaps guessing that if shedid know anything she would not be very likely to tell. It wasMademoiselle Therese who, in the wildest state of excitement,questioned every one in the house, Barbara included, and the latterfelt a little guilty when she replied that the last time she had seenthe missing girl was in the baths.
Before very long the bellman was going round proclaiming her loss, anddescribing the exact clothes she wore; and Barbara was afraid, when sheheard him, that there would soon be news of her; for she had beenwearing the little black hat and coat that all the girls atMademoiselle Eugenie's were dressed in. But the evening came, andapparently nothing had been heard of the truant. Mademoiselle Loireand Marie did hardly any lessons, such was the general excitement inthe house, but discussed, instead, the various possibilities inconnection with the escape.
Perhaps there was a little triumph in the hearts of the two elderwomen, for they had always felt rather jealous that MademoiselleEugenie had more boarders than they, even although they did not lay anyclaim to being a school. They would have given a great deal to be ableto read Barbara's thoughts, but she looked so very unapproachable thatthey shrugged their shoulders and resigned themselves, with whatpatience they could, to wait.
Barbara's anxiety was greatly relieved the next evening by letterswhich she received from both the "Pretender" and Alice. The firstwrote briefly, and to the point. He said he had delivered the girlsafely to the people at Neuilly, whom Alice had taken to, and thatthere seemed to be "good stuff" in her, too, for he had given her somevery straight advice about making the best of things, which she had notresented. Further, that Barbara need have no more anxiety, as he hadcabled to her father to get permission for her to stay at Neuilly, incase of any trouble arising when it was discovered where she was.Barbara folded up the letter with a sigh of relief that the matter hadgone so well thus far, and opened Alice's communication, which waslargely made up of exclamation marks and dashes.
She was very enthusiastic about Neuilly, and was sure she would bequite happy there, and that the heat would only make her feel at home.She had smiled with delight at intervals all day, she said, when shethought of the rage of Mademoiselle Eugenie, and her futile efforts totrace her. She supposed a full description of her clothes had beengiven, but that would be no good, as the American had brought her atweed cap and a cycling cape, and they had thrown her hat away by theroadside. She concluded by saying that Mr. Morton had been very kind,though he did not seem to have a very high opinion of her character,and had given her enough grandfatherly advice to last her a lifetime,and made her promise to write to Mademoiselle Eugenie.
Barbara tore up both letters, and then went out to visit MademoiselleVire, and relieved her mind by telling her all about it.
"It seems so deceptive and horrid to keep quiet when they arediscussing things and wondering where she is," she concluded. "But shewas to write to Mademoiselle Eugenie to-day, and I really don't feelinclined to tell her or the Loires the share I had in it."
"I hardly think you need, my child," Mademoiselle Vire said, pattingher on the shoulder. "Sometimes silence is wisest, and, of _course_,you tell your own people. I do not know, indeed, if I had been younglike you, that I should not have done just the same; and perhaps, evenif I had been Alice, I might have done as she did."
Barbara laughed, and shook her head. She could never imagine theelegant little Mademoiselle Vire conniving at anybody's escape,especially through a bath-house window! But it cheered her to thinkthat the little lady was not shocked at the escapade; and she went backquite fortified, and ready for supper in the garden with the widowerand his family, whom Mademoiselle Therese had been magnanimous enoughto invite.