THE COUNTESS SOPHIA
To be at luncheon with a real countess? What bliss!
Not one of the "Automobile Girls" doubted, for an instant, the
genuineness of the Countess Sophia von Stolberg. Mrs. De Lancey Smythe's
calumnies carried no weight with the "Automobile Girls."
To-day the countess was more gentle, more beautiful than she had seemed
at first. And there was less formality in her manner.
Mollie, who sat at her left at the luncheon table, quite lost the
feeling of awe that had taken possession of her the afternoon before.
Opposite the countess, at the other end of the table, sat the formidable
Madame de Villiers, the old lady with the hooked nose and the bird-like
eyes. She, too, seemed to feel more amiable, for she watched her young
guests with an amused smile.
"Do you know what I believe Madame de Villiers was thinking all the time
we were at luncheon?" Ruth asked her friends, when they were discussing
their visit the following day. "The amused look on her face seemed to
say: 'This is just another of the countess's pranks, asking these
strangers to luncheon. But if they amuse her--why not!'"
Madame de Villiers, however, found Miss Sallie Stuart much to her
liking. Perhaps this was because Miss Sallie was not in the least afraid
of her, nor inclined to shrink from her, as so many people did.
The story of the morning's adventure had been told. The countess leaned
admiringly over the great bunch of yellow daffodils in the centre of the
table and smiled at Bab. Barbara's brown curls were still damp from
their recent wetting. "Were there no men on that part of the beach when
the baby was drowning? Why did you have to risk your life in that way?"
the countess asked.
"There were no men near," Ruth replied. "You see, it was very early in
the morning. Only the nurse girls and children were abroad."
"There was one man present!" exclaimed Mollie, with a spark of anger in
her usually gentle blue eyes. "But he was a coward and ran away."
"The Count de Sonde! Oh, yes," continued Ruth, "I had forgotten him."
The countess look startled.
"The Count de Sonde!" she repeated in a puzzled fashion. "He refused to
help? He ran away?" An expression of incredulity crossed her face.
"He most certainly did run," Mollie declared firmly. "I almost fell on
my knees to beg him to save Bab. But he did not even take time to refuse
me. He simply ran away, so as to live to fight another day, I suppose."
"The Count de Sonde!" the young countess returned. "Ah, yes, he is the
young Frenchman who was here yesterday. Then he is not a friend of
yours?"
"Certainly not, Countess Sophia," explained Mr. Stuart. "The young man
is only a chance acquaintance, whom my friend Mr. Warren rescued from a
difficulty yesterday."
"I, also, am but a chance acquaintance," smiled the young countess.
"Only you were the rescuer, and he was the rescued!" exclaimed Mollie
quickly, looking fondly at her pretty hostess, who pressed her hand
under the table.
"We are not in the least interested in the count," Ruth remarked
bluntly. "We are civil to him because we are trying to help some one."
The countess looked puzzled.
Mr. Stuart laughed. "My dear Countess," he explained, "the 'Automobile
Girls' are not exactly Knights of the Round Table, but they have a kind
of league of their own. I think they have formed a sort of Helping Hand
Society. They have a pretty good theory that there is no reason why boys
should enjoy all the adventures and thrilling experiences. If there is
anything to be done, why, do it! Isn't that the motto, girls? I think
the countess would be amazed if she knew what you have been through in
the way of adventure. Now, they have undertaken to look after a
misguided maiden. And I think they are rather piling on the horrors in
her case."
"Now, Father, you've no right to tease," protested Ruth. "You are the
very person who made us promise to stand by Maud Warren through thick
and thin."
"So I did," agreed Mr. Stuart. "But I had no romantic notions that Maud
was to be protected from the Count de Sonde. I only consented to have
you persuade Maud from certain undesirable associates by showing her how
much more desirable you are. Now, I plainly see the object of your
protective association has changed."
"Now, Father, you are teasing," exclaimed his daughter.
"How can you accuse me of any such thing?" replied Mr. Stuart, his eyes
twinkling.
"He always teases," Ruth explained to the countess and Madame de
Villiers. "It's second nature to him. He can't help it. But putting
aside all jesting, I am going to speak very plainly about several
things. I am sorry to be obliged to backbite, but really and truly we
don't like Mrs. De Lancey Smythe. She is the most disagreeable person we
know, and we are going to try gradually to wean Maud Warren from her.
Maud thinks that she is wonderful and a great society leader, but I
think if one made careful inquiry into the matter, one would find her
name among those missing from the social world."
"Ruth, my dear," expostulated Miss Stuart. "You are entirely too
impetuous!"
"Do allow her to go on, Miss Stuart," begged Madame de Villiers. "She is
one after my own heart. It is refreshing to find some one who is not
afraid to speak plainly."
"Well," continued Ruth, highly elated at receiving the approbation of
the stern old woman. "We are going to checkmate Mrs. D. L. S. at her own
game. She is trying to throw Maud in line with her own schemes. Enter
the 'Automobile Girls.' Exit the enemy. The first battle was fought on
the beach this morning, and the situation was strongly defended to the
last word by General Barbara Thurston."
"What do you mean, Ruth?" interrupted her father gravely.
Then Ruth launched forth with the account of Mrs. De Lancey Smythe's
rudeness to Bab and Bab's reply. "Marian is all right," concluded Ruth,
"but her mother is an entirely different proposition."
"So it would seem," murmured the countess thoughtfully. "But suppose the
count is really an eligible person, and has fallen in love, in earnest
with Miss Warren, and suppose that Miss Warren truly loves him, what
then? Would Mr. Warren still be opposed to the marriage?"
"I don't know," replied Ruth doubtfully. "But you see Maud is a girl,
and Mr. Warren feels that she is too young to know her own mind. He is
afraid that the count's title has dazzled her, and he does not like
foreigners. He thinks we may be able to disabuse Maud of some of her
sentimental ideas. Last night we four girls organized a secret society
for the suppression of fortune hunters, and we thought perhaps you might
help us----"
"Ruth, my dear child!" protested Miss Sallie greatly shocked.
But old Madame de Villiers' eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Indeed, I shall be most happy to become a member of your secret
society," rejoined the countess. "How exciting! It must be a real secret
society, if we are to be serious. Let me see? We should arrange signals
and plan a campaign. If I am right, Miss Maud Warren needs to be treated
very delicately and carefully, or she is likely to rebel. Is this not
so?"
"That is just what we agreed last night," Ruth confessed.
"But how are we going to prove that Count de Sonde is a fortune-hunter?"
argued Mollie. "For all we know, he may be immensely rich as well as
illustrious."
"Oh, we shall have to prove that the count is not really in love with
Mademoiselle Warren," answered the countess, pinching Mollie's cheek.
She was entering into their little game with a curious zest.
"Or you might prove that he is not a count," interposed Madame de
Villiers, with an inscrutable expression on her grim old face.
"Do you believe that he is an impostor, Madame de Villiers?" inquired
Miss Sallie.
For a brief instant the countess's eyes met those of Madame de Villiers.
The old lady shrugged her shoulders and lifted her eyebrows in answer to
Miss Sallie's question: "The world is so full of impostors, and Europe
so full of counts," she said.
The countess blushed hotly. There was an awkward silence.
Miss Sallie was sorry she had spoken. But why should such an idle
question cause annoyance? The young count was surely a stranger to her
two hostesses. There was nothing to indicate that the young man was in
earnest about Maud Warren. He had simply paid her casual attentions for
the past few days.
"Shall you and I become members of this secret society, Madame de
Villiers?" inquired Miss Stuart, to divert the conversation. "I suppose
we had better be content with the posts of confidential agents. Because
I assure you there is no limit to what this society may do."
"And I should prefer to be scout, guardsman, or messenger," agreed Mr.
Stuart. "I, too, shrink from being an active member of such a vigorous
organization."
"Then let us leave these faithless people behind, girls," proposed the
young countess. "Let us run away to the old boathouse and plan our
campaign. We are not sure that we may safely confide to you our secret
signals, our hand clasps and our code," she protested to the older
people.
Madame de Villiers now led the way into the drawing room.
But the young countess ran lightly out of the house, followed by her
four girl guests. "We'll arrange our secrets while our elders take their
coffee on the balcony," she suggested.
When the countess and the "Automobile Girls" had disappeared, Madame de
Villiers smiled a little apologetically at Miss Stuart and her brother.
"The countess is only a girl herself," she explained. "Of course, she is
several years older than your girls. Yet, in many ways, she is still
simply a child."
"She is very beautiful and charming," replied Miss Sallie cordially.
"You see how she has fascinated our girls."
"So she does everyone," replied Madame de Villiers, shaking her head
somewhat sadly.
In the meantime the five conspirators were absorbed in devising their
signals. They were only joking, of course. Yet, somehow, the young
countess entered so seriously into their make-believe that the girls
almost forgot they were not in earnest. One thing they conscientiously
agreed upon--Maud Warren was to be constantly invited to share their
pleasures with, or without, her objectionable friends.
"Must the Count de Sonde be permitted always to come along with us and
Maud?" Grace queried. She had been taking little part in the
conversation, for she had been industriously writing down a list of
signals for their new organization.
"We must have him, if Maud won't come without him," replied Ruth. "Maud
must be won over to our side by flattering attentions. Suppose we start
out being friends with her, by having another luncheon at our hotel.
Will you come, Countess?"
The countess shook her head gently. "I am sorry," she replied a little
soberly. "I--" she hesitated a moment. "I fear you will think me rude.
But I have made it a rule never to appear at the hotels. I will do
anything else. Suppose we give a picnic? Is not that what you call it in
English?"
"A picnic would be delightful," agreed Ruth politely. But she could not
help wondering why the countess was not willing "to appear," as she
expressed it, at the hotels.
"The signals are ready!" cried Grace. "There are two handshakes. The one
which denotes danger is like this: Press the forefinger of one hand into
the palm of the other person's hand when you shake hands."
"That is very clever!" exclaimed the countess. She clasped Mollie's
little hand. "Now, Mademoiselle Mollie, when you feel my finger press
your palm like this, you will know that I am greatly in need of your
help."
"A white ribbon bow worn on the left shoulder, means that a secret
meeting must be called at once!" Grace declaimed.
"And a blue ribbon bow, worn instead of a white one, proclaims: 'I have
important information to communicate,'" added the Countess Sophia. "But
I should have a special signal by which to summon you. Let me see. I
must be able to signal you from a distance. If I fasten a red flag to
one of these posts in the day time you must know that I want to see you
very much."
"But what about a night signal?" asked Grace, who was taking the signals
very seriously.
The countess laughed. "If ever you should happen to see a bright light
shining in the tower of my villa, come to me at once. I shall be in
great danger. Now, is not that exciting?" she cried, clasping her hands
and smiling at the little company.
At this moment there came a sound of oars dipping in the water. A boat
glided from under the pavilion, which was built out over the water. The
boat must have been hugging the shore until it reached the boathouse.
Then it made for the open water. In the boat was one man. And
immediately the countess and the four "Automobile Girls" recognized him.
He was the Frenchman, Monsier Duval!
"I wonder if he has been eavesdropping?" asked Ruth indignantly.
"Oh well, he has heard nothing but make-believe," the countess replied
lightly, as she led her guests back to the villa.