Charlotta was not long. A quarter of a mile away, Major James Hersey, who was having his usual afternoon exercise on one of the army horses, heard his name called unexpectedly by a voice which he recognized at once.
The next moment the Countess Charlotta had explained the situation. In a short time Bianca was seated on horseback with her arms about Charlotta while Major Hersey walked beside them into Coblenz. As Bianca did not know how to ride, she preferred that Charlotta should ride in front.
CHAPTER XVII
_Faith and Unfaith_
WITHIN the next weeks Major Jimmie Hersey found himself much less lonely than during the earlier part of his stay in the occupied city of Coblenz. Of late a pleasant friendship had been developing between the young Countess Charlotta and himself.
After her too lengthy walk, Bianca Zoli had been ill and not able to spend as much time with her new friend as she formerly had.
At first Charlotta had been inconsolable, blaming herself for Bianca"s breakdown and refusing to amuse herself in any of her accustomed ways.
But with the arrival of spring it became impossible for her to remain indoors, especially as she was only permitted to see Bianca for a few moments each day. It was not that Dr. and Mrs. Clark particularly blamed Charlotta, Bianca being entirely responsible for her own actions.
Moreover, Dr. Clark did not believe that any one exhausting experience had been the cause of Bianca"s illness but an acc.u.mulating number of them, especially her presence in Chateau-Thierry under such strange conditions during one of the final battles of the war.
Yet it was Bianca"s breakdown which was the beginning of a relation approaching friendship between the young United States officer and the Countess Charlotta Scherin.
As Bianca had been in a nearly fainting condition when she was brought finally to the American Red Cross hospital, naturally Major Hersey called there the next day to inquire for her.
By chance, as Charlotta had haunted the hospital all day, she and Miss Pringle were leaving the moment Major Hersey arrived.
As his inquiry occupied only a short time, he was able to overtake the young girl and her chaperon before they had gotten any distance away.
"I don"t know what we should have done if you had not been riding horseback yesterday, Major Hersey," Charlotta declared. "I don"t believe Bianca could possibly have walked back, or waited very long while we tried to find a vehicle. I"m afraid too that I actually enjoyed my own ride even under such circ.u.mstances. You cannot realize how much I have missed riding in these last weeks. I think until my accident, or whatever one may choose to call it, I had been on horseback every day of life from the time I was five years old. I am envious of you. Do you suppose it would be possible for me to get hold of a horse in Coblenz which I could use? Any kind of horse will be better than none."
Ordinarily, Jimmie Hersey was shy, finding it difficult to talk to young women or girls without embarra.s.sment. Yet one could scarcely be shy with the Countess Charlotta, she was so frank and direct herself and so free from any affectation.
"I don"t know, I expect it would be hard work to find a woman"s riding horse in Coblenz these days. The horses that were any good were requisitioned for the German cavalry. But there is just a chance that I may be able to borrow one of our own American horses for you occasionally. I can"t promise of course, but it would be jolly if you could ride with me."
"I should love it," the Countess Charlotta answered.
"But I suppose we ought to have some one else with us; it won"t do under the circ.u.mstances for us to ride alone," Major Hersey added.
During this speech the young officer colored slightly, since it was not among his usual duties to chaperon a girl. However, he knew what was fitting and intended that the conventions should be obeyed.
Glancing toward him, the little countess was about to demur, insisting that, although of course it might be advisable to have an escort, nevertheless, she did not wish to be deprived of opportunities to ride for such a reason. However, observing Major Jimmie"s expression rather surprisingly she remained silent. In spite of his boyish appearance, his gentle brown eyes and sometimes almost diffident manner, there was a firmness in his mouth and chin which few persons ever misunderstood.
It was during one of their afternoon rides together, about ten days later, when they were accompanied by Sergeant Donald Hackett and Nora Jamison, that unexpectedly Charlotta turned to her escort.
"You don"t approve of my having come away from home in the way that I did, do you, Major Hersey? Oh, I know you have never said anything of course, since you do not consider that we know each other sufficiently well to discuss personalities, yet just the same you do disapprove of me."
Jimmie Hersey shook his head.
"Certainly I do not disapprove of you." Then he flushed and laughed.
"May I say instead that I approve of you highly. You don"t mind my being a little complimentary?"
"Oh, if you mean to be flattering me, you need not think I am not pleased. But what I meant was that you do not approve of my action.
Please answer me truthfully. I shall not be offended. After all, you see I am asking you the question, so you cannot be blamed for telling me the truth."
Still the young American officer hesitated.
"Well, Countess Charlotta, you must always remember that I am a soldier, and that in so far as possible I try to live up to a soldier"s ideals.
One of them is to face the music, never to run away. But there, that seems an extremely impolite thing for me to have said! You know how glad I am personally that you did come to Coblenz."
To the latter part of Major Hersey"s remark, Charlotta apparently paid no attention.
She dropped her chin for a moment and stared straight ahead of her.
This afternoon she was wearing a brown corduroy riding habit and brown leather boots and a close fitting corduroy riding hat. Her father had not been so obdurate that he had not sent Charlotta a large trunk of her clothes soon after he learned of her safe arrival in Coblenz.
"You mean to say as kindly as possible that you think I am a coward,"
she returned finally. "That is what Mrs. Clark thinks also, only she has not said so, I suppose because I have never asked her. Sometimes, I have wondered since my arrival in Coblenz, if I should go back home and ask my father"s forgiveness, making him understand that I shall never marry any one for whom I do not care. But my problem is, would he accept an apology which did not include obedience? You see that is what my new American friends cannot understand in my father"s and my att.i.tude to each other. Besides, I do so want to go to the United States when Mrs.
Clark and Bianca and several of her Red Cross nurses return home. Mrs.
Clark tells me that she and Dr. Clark only intend remaining in Coblenz until after the Germans have signed the treaty of peace. Dr. Clark then feels that he must go back to his New York city practice and be relieved by a younger man. Three or four of the American Red Cross nurses will be sailing at the same time. You simply cannot guess how I long to travel.
Think of being as restless a person as I am and shut up in a tiny country like Luxemburg! I have never been anywhere else except just into Germany in all my life."
"Hard luck of course, and you would enjoy the United States! You are just the kind of girl to appreciate it. You must do what you think is right yourself since after all another fellow"s judgment is not worth much," Major Hersey replied, not altogether pleased with the idea of his new friends vanishing from Coblenz when his own duties might keep him there an indefinite time.
Later that afternoon, at about dusk, on his way toward home, Major James Hersey was considering a number of matters somewhat seriously. He was a United States officer with nothing to live upon save his pay. Up to the present his one desire had been to continue to serve his country.
In Germany at this time there was a good deal of intensely bitter feeling. With the delay in the presentation of the peace terms a less friendly att.i.tude toward America and the Americans was developing than during the weeks first following the German defeat.
In the interior the poorer people were said to be hungry, war weary and anxious to resume their normal business life.
In Coblenz there was especial dissatisfaction with the present German government, Coblenz having been a centre of pan-Germanism and pro-Kaiserism.
Carefully concealed as such ideas were supposed to be from the members of the American Army of Occupation, there were United States officers who appreciated that there were groups of prominent Germans at this time desiring the return of the Kaiser and some form of monarchial control.
It was not known in March that the Kaiser might be tried by an international court.
Quietly Major Hersey had been informed that the United States Secret Service was endeavoring to discover the men who had been the Kaiser"s closest friends in Coblenz before his inglorious departure into Holland.
There were still, Major Jimmie reflected, many interesting ways to serve one"s country, even if the great war were past.
This afternoon it struck him that this might become more of a sacrifice than he had antic.i.p.ated, but notwithstanding his country must always remain first!
At the threshold of his own door he stopped, slightly puzzled. Some one was already in his sitting-room, which was unusual at this hour. His rooms were cleaned in the morning and he was seldom interrupted afterwards either by a servant or any member of the household.
But probably a fellow officer had dropped in to see him and was awaiting his return.
Suddenly, with this idea in mind, Major Hersey thrust his door open.
Then he stood stock still in a slightly apologetic att.i.tude.
His room was occupied and by the head of the German household in which he was at present living, Colonel Liedermann.