With no notion of losing the game at the last moment, Rosamond sprang from the car, calling to the groom to look out for Patty, and then ran, panting, to the train.
She grasped the old Ma"amselle as she was about to step on the train, and forcibly pulled her away.
Owing to the old lady"s angry and excited exclamation at being thus detained, she could not understand what Rosamond was trying to tell her.
"Make her comprehend!" she cried to the maid, who was accompanying her mistress, "make her understand, quick! she must not go to Paris!
Monsieur Henri is at the Chateau!"
But the French maid could understand no English, and in despair Rosamond turned to the group of people who had gathered about them.
Her dignity suddenly returned, and her common sense with it.
"Will somebody who can talk French," she said, "explain to this lady that she need not go to the house of her nephew with the broken arm, because he is already at the Chateau of his aunt."
The moment she had uttered this sentence, its resemblance to the Ollendorff exercises struck Rosamond as very funny, and she began to giggle.
But the old Ma"amselle at last understood the state of the case, and, her face beaming with smiles, she turned away from the train and back to the station.
Patty had come to herself after her momentary unconsciousness, and was all right once more, though physically tired from her exciting exertions.
Ma"amselle"s own chauffeur was overcome with amazement when he learned what Patty had done, and took off his cap to her, with the air of one offering homage to a brave heroine.
As for Ma"amselle, she petted Patty, and cried over her, and thanked her, and blessed her, to an extent that could not have been exceeded had Patty saved her from the guillotine.
Then Patty was packed into the back seat of the big car, with Ma"amselle on one side of her and Rosamond on the other. And with this precious freight the chauffeur started off, leaving the groom who had gone with the first party to bring home the other car.
Though there was not much talking done on the way home, Ma"amselle held Patty"s hand closely clasped in her own, and the girl felt well repaid by the old lady"s unspoken grat.i.tude for the trouble and danger she had undergone.
When they reached home, and Ma"amselle had warmly welcomed her nephew, there was great to-do over Patty"s daring journey.
"All"s well that ends well," said Elise, "but you"ll catch it, Patty Fairfield, when mother hears of your performance. If I had been in Rosamond"s place you would have had to drive that car out over my dead body!"
"That"s why I didn"t take you, Elise," said Patty, laughing; "I knew you"d raise a terrible row about my going, while Rosamond obeyed my orders like a meek little lamb."
"You should at least have let me accompany you, Mademoiselle Fairfield," said Philippe Baring; "I cannot drive an automobile, I regret to say, but I might have been a protection for you."
Patty didn"t see any especial way in which Mr. Baring could have protected her, but she didn"t say so, and only thanked him prettily for his interest in her welfare.
Henry Labesse was enthusiastic in his admiration and praise of Patty, and declared that American girls were wonders.
Ma"amselle was so pleased to think she had been saved a useless trip to Paris, and to think that she should be able now to spend the evening with her young guests, and above all, to think that her beloved nephew was with her, that she hovered around like an excited b.u.t.terfly from one to another.
Then she sent them all away to dress for dinner, which, though belated, was to be a merry feast.
And, indeed, it proved so.
Old Ma"amselle came down first, and stood in the grandest drawing-room to receive her honoured guests.
The three boys came next, in their immaculate evening dress, which Henri had managed to get into in spite of his sling.
Then came the girls, the three, as usual, walking side by side, with their arms about each other. They had carried out their plan of red, white and blue dresses, and made a pretty picture as they entered the drawing-room, and bowed in unison to their hostess.
The dinner was especially elaborate as to decorations, and confections that would please the young people, and the chef had done his very best to make his part of the occasion a worthy one.
Henri Labesse proved to be an exceedingly jolly young man, quite bubbling over with gay spirits and witty sallies He did not hesitate to joke with his aunt, who, notwithstanding her dignity, was never offended at her nephew"s bantering speeches.
The other two boys, though a trifle more formal than Henri, and perhaps a little bit shy, after the manner of very young Frenchmen, were willing to do their share, and as our three American girls were in the highest of spirits, the feast was a gay one, indeed.
Ma"amselle gazed around at her brood with such delight and satisfaction that she almost forgot to eat.
Over and over again she wanted it explained to her how Henri had broken his arm in his gymnasium cla.s.s, how he had thought he would not be able to go to St. Germain, and so had telegraphed his aunt to come to him, and how, later, the doctor had patched him up so that he could go, and he had followed close upon the heels of a second telegram.
The delayed message arrived while they were at dinner, and Henri twisted it up, and lighting it at a candle flame, burned it, saying it was a bad spirit which had worked them ill, but which should trouble them no more.
Then Ma"amselle wanted to hear again all about Patty"s wonderful ride, the difficulties she had encountered, the nerve strain she had experienced, and the help and comfort Rosamond had been to her.
"And," concluded Patty as she wound up her recital, "I don"t want any one to tell Mrs. Farrington about it, because I want to tell her myself."
Elise smiled, for she well knew that Patty"s wheedlesome ways would persuade Mrs. Farrington to look leniently on the episode, although it had, indeed, been a desperately dangerous piece of business.
But Ma"amselle Labesse a.s.serted that after she had said what she had to say to Mrs. Farrington, she knew that Patty would not be reprimanded by her, but rather be deemed worthy of the Cross of the Legion of Honour.
Patty smiled at them all, in reality caring little, even if she were reprimanded. She knew she had done a daring thing, but she had kept her head, and had come through it safely, and having won, she felt it was her right to laugh.
"Are all American girls so brave and fearless?" inquired Mr. Villere.
"I think most of them are," said Patty, "but you must understand I was not recklessly daring. I have had many lessons in motoring, and I"m a fairly expert driver. Of course, everybody is liable to accidents, and I took my chances on them, but not on my driving."
"You took chances on losing your head," remarked Rosamond.
"So did Marie Antoinette," returned Patty saucily, "but you see I fared better than she did."
CHAPTER XVIII
A NEW YEAR FETE
The next morning was the day of the New Year. As usual, every one did as he or she chose during the morning hours, but luncheon time brought them all together again.
The three boys had been out of doors all the morning, and seemed glad to return again to the society of the American strangers.
The girls had been happy enough by themselves, and though they liked the French boys well enough, had privately agreed that they were not half as nice as American boys.
But half a dozen young people, if good-natured and enthusiastic, are bound to have a merry time together, and as the six grew better acquainted their national differences wore away somewhat.
Ma"amselle announced that the fete of the day would be an early evening party, followed by a supper.