"No, I will not tell them anything," she muttered, with a frown; "I will just go and leave no trace behind me. It may seem unkind to Lord Cameron, but some time I will explain it all."
She then arose and dressed herself in her traveling suit, tied a dark-blue vail about her face, and brought a thick shawl from her closet. She then began to lay out a change of clothing and her toilet articles, but suddenly stopped in the midst of her work.
"No, I will not burden myself with anything," she murmured, thoughtfully. "I am not strong, and I need all the strength I have to get myself away; besides, I can easily buy what I need in any town."
She hastily drew on her gloves, without observing that the rings, which she usually wore and which she prized very highly, were still lying upon her cushion where she had left them before taking her bath. She did not even think to take her watch, which she sadly missed and regretted afterward; her only thought was to get away as quickly as possible from all danger of violating her conscience and of wronging a n.o.ble and generous man.
She then put out her light and sat alone in the darkness, waiting for the house to become quiet so that she could steal forth un.o.bserved.
Two hours pa.s.sed, all in the house seemed to be at rest, and she noiselessly crept out of a window upon the piazza, made her way swiftly around the house to where a flight of stairs led to the ground, and then sped away in the darkness, with no definite idea whither she was going.
She took the highway leading away from Mentone, because she dreaded lest some one should meet and accost her in the town. She had a dim idea that if she could get to San Remo, which was about twelve miles east of Mentone, she could take a train going north without being discovered, and accordingly she bent her footsteps in this direction.
Her way led along the cliffs overhanging the sea, before mentioned, and how she, to whom the way was entirely strange, should have escaped the fate which every one afterward supposed to have been hers was wondered.
But escape it she did, and after safely pa.s.sing this perilous point she descended the hill, and then the road closely followed the beach for some distance.
Here she came upon the rude hut, or shelter, which has been described, and being foot-sore and weary with her long walk, she spread her shawl upon a ma.s.s of sea-weed which she found in one corner, and throwing herself upon it soon fell into a profound slumber, from which she was awakened by the light touch of Lisette Vermilet.
With this brief explanation of Violet"s flight, we will return to the two girls who were discussing a change of apparel.
Violet was much strengthened by the food which she had eaten and greatly refreshed by her nap, while she was encouraged by the presence of the young girl, who was also, strangely enough, flying from a fate similar to her own.
She overcame the scruples of Lisette, and insisting upon the plan she had proposed, the two girls, under cover of that rude shed, made the exchange, Violet declaring that every article be transferred in order to make the disguise more complete. She only reserved her shawl, as, in traveling, she knew she would need it.
"Now," she said, when their task was completed, "can you tell me the best way to get north. I am going to England, and from there to America, and I want to get away from this region as soon as possible."
"Mademoiselle would do well to come with me to Mentone and take a train from there," Lisette replied.
"Oh, I could not do that," Violet cried. "I have just come from Mentone, and would not go back there for anything."
It will be observed that she had refrained from saying much about herself thus far, for she did not wish even this simple girl to know the circ.u.mstances which had caused her flight.
Lisette thought a minute, then she told her to go on to a village about a mile distant, where, in a couple of hours, a train would make a brief stop at a crossing.
This, she said, would bear her back in the same direction she had come, but she could go on to Nice, where she could take an express direct for Paris.
Violet, much as she dreaded pa.s.sing through Mentone again, saw that this would be the wisest course to pursue, and decided that she would follow the girl"s advice.
"You will not betray that you have met me, if any one should question you, and you will keep out of sight of people in Mentone as much as possible," Violet pleaded.
"Surely I will not betray you, signorina, and I will not show myself by daylight in Mentone," Lisette said, earnestly, "and you will get away without any trouble, for a peasant girl can go about alone in this country where an English lady could not. Take courage, signorina; nothing will harm you, and may the Holy Virgin go with you."
"I feel anxious about your pa.s.sing through Mentone," Violet said. "If you should be seen there tomorrow you would surely be stopped, for my clothing would instantly be recognized by those who will search for me; they would compel you to tell where and how you met me, and then they would telegraph ahead and have me stopped."
"Do not fear, signorina," Lisette responded. "I shall pa.s.s through Mentone before light, for I am a rapid walker. I go straight to Monaco, and seek service in some French family going to Paris."
Violet looked relieved at this.
"Have you money?" she asked.
"I have forty francs, signorina. I have saved for eighteen months every sou I could get."
Eighteen months saving eight dollars!
Violet regarded the girl with sorrowful astonishment.
"That is very little; let me give you some more," she cried, and eagerly opening her well-filled purse, counted out some gold-pieces amounting to fifty francs more.
"No, signorina, not a sou," Lisette returned, firmly, as she waved back Violet"s extended hand. "My heart is heavy now with all you have done for me--giving me these beautiful clothes in exchange for a poor peasant"s dress. I cannot take your money."
"Please," persisted Violet. "I have plenty, and can easily spare you this."
But the girl made a proud gesture of dissent.
"The signorina must go; and I must get on also," she said, gravely.
"Keep to the straight road until you come to the track in the village.
You can get no ticket, but the guard will charge you a couple of francs for your fare. Adieu, signorina."
She was about turning away, when Violet stopped her.
"Lisette," she said, holding out her hand, "good-by. You have been very kind to me, and I shall always remember you kindly. I hope we shall meet again some time."
Tears were in Lisette"s eyes as she responded in a similar strain, and then led Violet from the shed.
"That way, go; adieu!" she said, pointing eastward; then raising the hand she held, she pressed her lips impulsively to it and dropped it.
With a softly breathed farewell in response, Violet turned and walked quickly away, while Lisette went back into the shed, put out her candle and threw the end away, after which she turned in the opposite direction and began to climb the steep hills or cliffs, along which the highway led toward Mentone.
Violet went on her way in the darkness, her heart beating rapidly with fear lest she should encounter some rude fisherman or peasant who would stop and question her.
She was foot-sore and weary long before she came in sight of the village, for a mile was a long distance to her unaccustomed muscles, while Lisette"s heavy shoes hurt her tender feet sorely.
But, guided by the lights along the railroad track, she found her way to the crossing the girl had told, her about, and, sinking down upon a pile of sleepers by the road-bed, she uttered a sigh of relief that she had reached the end of her long walk.
She did not have a great while to wait, for presently the cars came thundering along, and soon she was on the train for Nice, whence she took an express for Paris. Now she felt safe from pursuit, as she was being whirled northward at the rate of forty miles an hour.
CHAPTER XX.
VIOLET RETURNS TO AMERICA.
Meanwhile the kind-hearted peasant girl, Lisette, feeling as if she had suddenly been changed into another being by some good fairy--and she certainly looked like a different person, clad as she was like a lady--was walking at a swinging pace toward Mentone, and--her doom.
She intended to walk until the day began to dawn, and then beg a ride to Monaco in one of the market-carts which made daily trips from the country to that city.