So the family settled down into a life which was quiet compared with the first few weeks of their stay in Paris.
The masters came every morning except Sat.u.r.day, and that day was always devoted to sightseeing or pleasures of some sort. Occasionally, too, a whole holiday was taken during the week, for Mr. Farrington said he had a vivid recollection of a certain proverb which discussed the result of all work and no play.
Patty declared she was never afraid of any lack of play hours in the Farrington family, and she enjoyed alike both her morning tasks and her afternoon pleasures.
Twice a week a professor came to give her singing lessons, and it was arranged that at the same hour Elise should be busy with her drawing master. Though Elise did not show promise of becoming a really great artist, her parents thought it wise to cultivate such talent as she possessed, if only for the pleasure it might give to herself and her friends.
So Elise worked away at her drawing from casts, and occasionally painted flowers in water colours, while Patty practised her scales, and learned to sing some pretty little French ballads.
Though neither of the girls was possessed of genius, they both had talent, and by application to study they found themselves rapidly improving in their arts.
As Patty had expected, she developed an intense interest in French history, and as Elise shared this taste, they learned their lessons well, and also read books of history outside of school hours quite from choice.
[Ill.u.s.tration with caption: "They also read books of history outside of school hours quite from choice"]
There were a great many Americans residing in Paris, and it was not long before Mr. and Mrs. Farrington renewed old acquaintances there, and also made new ones among the American colony.
This meant pleasant a.s.sociates for the girls, and they soon became acquainted with several American families.
Indeed, the house next to their own, was occupied by an American family named Barstow, with whom the Farringtons soon made friends.
The young people of the family were Rosamond, a girl of seventeen, and her brother Martin, a few years older.
The first time they met, Elise and Patty took a decided liking to the Barstows, and Rosamond often spent the afternoon with them, while they chatted gaily over their work, or went driving with them along the beautiful Bois, or visited the galleries with them.
CHAPTER XV
ST. GERMAIN
The weeks went happily by. Patty became quite accustomed to French ways and customs, and was becoming proficient in the language.
One of her greatest treats was the Opera. Mr. Farrington had engaged a box for the season, and the girls attended nearly every matinee performance. The first few times Patty could scarcely listen to the music for her admiration of the wonderful building, but after she became more accustomed to its glories, it did not so distract her attention from the stage. Mr. and Mrs. Farrington occasionally gave opera parties, and dinner parties, too, but the girls were not allowed to attend these. Although indulgent in many ways, Mrs. Farrington was somewhat strict about the conventions for her young people; but so gently were her rules laid down, that they never seemed harsh or stern.
On nights when dinner parties were given, the girls had their dinner in the family breakfast-room, and often were allowed to invite Rosamond, and sometimes Martin to their feasts.
Another delight to Patty was the fact that she was learning to drive a motor-car. It had always fascinated her, and she had always felt that she could do it if she only knew how. Once when she timidly expressed this wish to Mr. Farrington, he replied, "Why certainly, child, I"ll be glad to teach you, and some day, who knows, you may have a car of your own."
So whenever opportunity allowed Mr. Farrington gave her lessons in the art, and often Patty would sit in front with the chauffeur and he would teach her many things about the mechanism, until she became really quite accomplished as a driver.
Of course, she was never allowed to run the car alone, nor did she wish to, but it was great fun to handle the wheel herself and feel the car obey her lightest touch. Sometimes she would grow elated at her success and put on the high speed, but always under the supervision and protecting guidance of Mr. Farrington or the affable and amiable chauffeur.
It was a great surprise to Patty when she learned that Christmas was not made so much of in Paris as with us, but that the great fete-day was New Year"s Day, or, as they called it, JOUR DE L"AN.
But Patty was not baffled by French customs entirely, and decreed that the Farrington household should hold a Christmas celebration all by themselves. This they did, and the day to them was a pleasant one indeed.
But this was a minor episode compared to the fact that old Ma"amselle Labesse sent them all an urgent invitation to come to her at St.
Germain to spend New Year"s Day.
The girls were rejoiced at this invitation, but feared they could not accept it, as Mr. and Mrs. Farrington had an engagement in Paris for the festival.
But after much discussion of the matter, and much pleading on the part of the young people, it was arranged that Patty and Elise should go two days before the New Year Day and spend a whole week with the old Ma"amselle in her chateau. A little tactful managing on Patty"s part secured an invitation also for Rosamond Barstow, and the three girls, who had become almost inseparable, started off together in great glee.
Mr. Farrington sent them out in the motor-car, in care of his chauffeur, and Patty, to her great delight and satisfaction, drove the car all the way there.
St. Germain is a beautiful town, which dates back about eight centuries, when it was a favourite summer residence of French royalty.
The forest is among the most beautiful of all French woods, and as Patty drove through the roads of the deep forest it seemed like enchanted ground. They spun along the Terra.s.se, enjoying the view below, and after pa.s.sing many beautiful villas and residences came to the old chateau of Ma"amselle Labesse.
After pa.s.sing a porter"s lodge at the entrance, they went on for a long distance through the park before reaching the house Then alighting at the main portal, the doors were thrown open by footmen, and the girls were ushered in.
Ma"amselle herself received them in the entrance hall. She looked quite different from the way she had appeared on board the steamer, as she was now attired in very elegant and formal robes, with her white hair arranged after the fashion of Madame de Pompadour.
She cordially welcomed the three young girls, making emphatic a.s.sertions at her delight in seeing them, but her warmest welcome was bestowed upon Patty.
"But it is herself!" she cried; "of a certainty, it is ma pet.i.te Patty.
Ciel! but it is that I am glad to see you!"
Patty returned the greetings with polite warmth, and indeed she was really fond of the quaint old lady.
The girls were all amazed at the grandeur and beauty of Ma"amselle"s home, and were unable to repress their admiration; but Ma"amselle was pleased rather than otherwise that they should express their pleasure.
"But surely," she said, "it is indeed the beautiful home. This hall! It is not of a smallness! And in the old days it welcomed royal guests."
The hall was indeed magnificent. It was decorated with frescoes and mural paintings by well-known French artists. It contained statues and paintings and clocks and vases that might have graced a museum. The armour of knights stood about, and valuable trophies graced the wainscoted walls.
A wide carved staircase wound spirally up from one end; and at Ma"amselle"s suggestion, the girls were ushered at once to their room.
French maids were sent to them to unlock their boxes and a.s.sist with their toilettes, and Patty was glad that she now knew enough French at least to make herself understood.
Rosamond Barstow was a girl who never hesitated to get what she wanted if possible, and now it suited her purpose to dismiss the French maids; in her voluble if somewhat imperfect French, she told them that the young ladies wished to be alone for a time and would ring for the maids later.
"I just HAD to talk to you girls alone for a minute," she exclaimed, "or I should have exploded. Did you EVER see such a gorgeous castle in this world? I didn"t know your old Ma"amselle lived like this! How shall we ever live up to it?"
"I didn"t know she lived like this, either," said Patty, laughing at Rosamond"s expressions; "and I don"t care whether we can live up to it or not. We"ll put on our best frocks and our best manners, and that"s all we can do. But, oh girls, I feel like a princess in this room!"
"Then just come and look at mine," cried Elise, who was in the next apartment.
The girls had been given rooms near each other and which, with their anterooms and dressing-rooms, filled up the whole of a large wing of the chateau.
Patty"s, as she expressed it to the other girls, looked more like a very large cretonne shirtwaist box than anything else. For the walls and ceiling were covered with a chintz tapestry; the lambrequins, window curtains and door hangings were all of the same material and pattern, and the bed itself was draped and heavily curtained with the same. The bed curtains and window curtains were fastened back with huge rosettes of the chintz, and Patty remarked that it must have been brought by the acre.
The furniture was of the quaintest old French pattern, and so old-fashioned and unusual were the appointments all about, that Patty knew neither the names nor the use of many of them.
"I"d rather sleep in a "cosy-corner" than in that bed," remarked Rosamond; "I know that whole affair will tumble on your head in the night. It"s perfectly gorgeous to look at, but seems to me these old things are "most too old. If I were Ma"amselle I"d root them all out and refurnish."
"You"d be sent home if Ma"amselle heard you talk like that," admonished Patty, "and I"m not a bit afraid of that tent arrangement tumbling down. It"s most picturesque, and I shall lie in it, feeling like a retired empress."