_The Talk with Sonya_
"BUT, my dear child, surely you must see my position! The Red Cross unit
of which I am a member has asked the hospitality of your country in
order that we may care for a number of our ill soldiers until they are
sufficiently recovered to be sent away. I am deeply sorry and troubled
for you. But how can I show my appreciation of the courtesy--and I know
our continued presence in Luxemburg has been an embarrassment--by a
betrayal of confidence? It would be a betrayal if I were to aid you in
getting away from your home and country without your father's knowledge.
In a way it would not only be a personal discourtesy and deceit, there
might even be international difficulties. You are related to the Grand
Ducal family while I, well, very unimportant persons can make important
difficulties these days! So I am afraid I must refuse what you ask. But
surely if you speak plainly to your father and make him understand your
feeling in the matter, he will not demand a sacrifice of your youth and
happiness. Of course I don't know the laws or the customs of your
country, but an enforced marriage these days appears as an
impossibility."
"It is not a question of law or custom, Mrs. Clark; only in reigning
families are marriages actually arranged," the Countess Charlotta
answered. "Of course you know, however, that in Germany the consent of
the parents to a marriage is almost essential, and my father is German
born and was brought up in Germany, coming to Luxemburg when he was near
middle age. But I am not trying to pretend to you that I am actually
being forced into this marriage, since in the end in spite of my
pretence of bravery it will be my own cowardice which will condemn me to
it. I simply do not feel I can go on living at home with my father and
aunt if I refuse my consent. All my life I have been a disappointment
to them and the atmosphere of our existence has been one long
disagreement with antagonism between us on every possible subject. You
see I have a good deal of money in my own right and the man my father
wishes me to marry is an old friend of his, who has lost his fortune
through the war. My father is very bitter over the result of the war,
even if he may be forced to pretend otherwise. I think he wishes to give
my fortune to his friend as much as he wishes to see me a proper German
wife. But don't worry about me, Mrs. Clark, I _do_ see your point of
view and am sorry to have troubled you."
It was past the usual hour of bed-time in the Red Cross hospital and
Sonya had come in to talk to the young Luxemburg countess on her way to
her own room.
She got up now and began walking up and down, feeling worried and
uncertain. The young countess's situation, her beauty and charm, made a
deep appeal and yet she was powerless to do what she asked and help her
to escape from her uncongenial environment.
The girl's suggestion had been singularly childlike. She wished to be
allowed to go away from Luxemburg with the Red Cross girls secretly and
to remain in hiding with them.
"I am not a useful person at present," she had pleaded, "I think because
I have never wished to be, but as soon as my arm is well I am sure you
will find, Mrs. Clark, that I can do a good many things that might be
worth while. It would not be Red Cross work perhaps, but I could help
with the translating, I suppose there may be a good deal of confusion of
tongues when the army of occupation reaches the Rhine."
Sonya was thinking of this speech now as she watched the shadows in the
old room, lighted only by a single lamp. A curious freak of circumstance
that this same room had once been the Countess Charlotta's mother's.
"Do you think I might talk to your father? Would it do the least good? I
suppose he would only think me extraordinarily impertinent?" Sonya
queried.
In the years of her work with the Red Cross since the beginning of the
war perhaps she had had a singular experience. Instead of finding as
most women had, that she had given herself wholly and entirely to the
needs of the soldiers, it seemed to Sonya that the greatest and most
important demands upon her had been made by the Red Cross girls.
Always it was young girls who came to her with their problems, their
disappointments and difficulties. And sometimes the difficulties were
associated with their work, but more often with their emotions. But then
it seemed that love and war had always gone hand in hand, and at least
the girls she had cared for had kept themselves free from unfortunate
entanglements. The soldiers they had chosen for their friends were fine
and generous. But with the little Luxemburg countess, Sonya felt it
might be difficult to guess what her future might hold. She was wilful,
beautiful and unhappy, with perhaps but few congenial friends among her
former associates.
At this instant the Countess Charlotta shook her head, smiling.
"No, I don't think it would do any good for you to talk to my father,
Mrs. Clark. As a matter of fact, it would make things more difficult for
me to have him discover I have discussed my private affairs with a
comparative stranger. I shall probably say goodby to you tomorrow and go
back home, but I want you to realize, Mrs. Clark, how much I have
appreciated everybody's kindness to me here and how much I like and
admire American girls. Indeed, I would not have added to your work if I
had not been so anxious for their acquaintance. You will soon be going
away from Luxemburg to join the American Army of Occupation on the
Rhine. May I wish you all good fortune?"
The little countess held out her hand and Sonya took it in her own for a
moment and then leaned over and kissed her.
"May I write you after we go away and tell you where we are to be
stationed? Surely there could be no objection to this. And, my dear,
some day I may be able to prove myself your friend, even if I am forced
to seem unfriendly now. Goodnight."
And Sonya went away, curiously depressed.
In a few days the temporary Red Cross hospital in Luxemburg would close
and she would probably never see the little Countess Charlotta again.
The soldiers who had been ill were now sufficiently recovered either to
rejoin their regiments, by this time approaching the German frontier, or
else to return to convalescent hospitals in France.
The reigning family of the little duchy of Luxemburg had been courteous
but none too friendly, and personally Sonya was anxious to rejoin her
husband and the remainder of their Red Cross unit and to find themselves
established with the American Army of Occupation.
Gossip in Luxemburg at the present time insisted that the Grand Duchess
Marie Adelaide would probably be deposed and her sister invited to reign
in her place. Sonya was hoping to be away from the duchy before this
occurred, and as this did not actually take place until early in January
and it was now December, the American Red Cross unit had not to meet
this political change.
Left to herself the little Countess Charlotta did not go immediately to
bed, although Bianca Zoli had helped her to undress some time before and
she now wore only her rose-colored velvet dressing gown over her night
gown.
Until it was midnight and the big house had grown quiet she sat alone.
Her future was at present no clearer before her than upon the day when
in a spirit of utter recklessness and foolhardiness she had deliberately
flung herself from her horse. Yet at least she would never be so stupid
again or perhaps so wicked!
Finally getting up she lighted a candle and wandered first about the old
room and then out into the wide hall.
She had an idea of going to Bianca Zoli's room and of asking Bianca if
it were possible that she could make her a gift, an unusual gift
perhaps. The little countess desired one of Bianca's cast-off Red Cross
uniforms.
But then Bianca did not sleep alone and would certainly be startled by
such an extraordinary request.
Moreover, Charlotta would have no reasonable explanation to offer for
her request not being entirely clear in her own mind as to why she
desired this possession.
Later she tiptoed back into her own room and climbed into bed.
Next day probably she would make her singular demand. If she had no such
opportunity at some time, when the American Red Cross had departed from
Luxemburg, she would come back to her own house, since there she might
find what she wished.
If it became necessary and she did finally decide to leave home she
would require some disguise which her friends might unwittingly leave
behind them.