THE OLD MA'AMSELLE
The girls laughed heartily over the Teddy Bear, and agreed that it was
a delightful companion for their trip. Elise set him up on the little
shelf above the washstand, and he gazed down upon them like a fat and
good-natured patron saint. Patty named him Yankee Doodle, and gave him
an American flag to hold; but Elise, not wishing to seem to slight the
French nation, gave him a silken tri-colour of France to hold in his
other paw. Apparently unprejudiced in his sympathies, Yankee Doodle
held both flags, and continued to wear his jolly and complacent grin.
It was great fun for the girls to arrange their stateroom. As they
expected to occupy it for the next ten days, they proceeded to make it
as homelike as possible. They both had so many cabin bags and wall
pockets and basket catchalls which had been parting gifts that it was
difficult to find wall space for them all. Patty was to occupy the
lower berth and Elise the wide and comfortable sofa. For they concluded
they could chatter better if on a level. This left the upper berth as a
broad shelf for books and magazines, boxes of candy, and all the odds
and ends of their belongings.
"Isn't it perfectly wonderful," said Patty, "to think we are already
miles away from land, and dancing away over this blue water!"
As Patty was standing on the sofa, with her head stuck out through the
porthole, Elise could not hear a word of this speech; so unless the
fishes were interested it was entirely lost. But this mattered little
to Patty, and soon she pulled her head in and made the same remark over
again.
"Well," said Elise, who was matter-of-fact, "when people take passage
on an ocean steamer they often expect to get a few miles away from land
after they start."
"Oh, Elise," cried Patty, "have you no imagination? Of course it isn't
wonderful to consider the FACT of our sailing out to sea, but the IDEA
of dancing away over the blue water is poetic and therefore wonderful."
"I'm glad you explained it to me, and I dare say the more the ship
dances, the more wonderful it will be. And so let's get these things
straightened out before the dancing grows mad and hilarious."
"All right," said Patty good-naturedly; and she went to work with a
will, stowing away things and tacking up things, until everything was
snugly in place.
Mrs. Farrington's maid accompanied the party, but both Elise and Patty,
being energetic young Americans, had small use for her services. She
was a help, though, in the matter of back buttons and hair ribbons, and
she came now rapping at the stateroom door with a message from Mrs.
Farrington that the girls were to dress for dinner. At the same moment
the pretty bugle-call rang out that marked the half hour before
dinner-time.
"Isn't it fun," cried Patty, "to have the dressing-bell a trumpet?
Except at my own party the other night I've never been bugled to my
meals. What shall we wear, Elise?"
"Not our prettiest dresses. We must save those for the concert, or
whatever gaieties they may have. Put on that blue checked silk of
yours, Patty; it's the sweetest thing, and just right for dinner, and
I'll wear my light green one."
With slight assistance from Lisette, the French maid, they were soon
ready. Patty envied Lisette her fluency in the French tongue, for
though all the officers on board and most of the passengers spoke
English, Patty wished she could talk French more readily than she did.
She found it good practice to talk to Lisette in her own language, as
the mistakes she made did not embarrass her. Lisette, of course, was a
great admirer of pretty Patty, and was only too glad to be of
assistance to her linguistically or any other way.
Another bugle-call announced dinner, and, joining Mr. and Mrs.
Farrington, the girls went down to the dining saloon. Their seats were
at the captain's table, and Patty thought she had never seen such a
profusion of beautiful flowers as graced the board. The stewards had
placed the flowers of all the passengers upon the tables, and, with the
lights and ornate decorations of the Louis XVI. saloon, it was like
fairyland. The walls and ceiling were elaborately decorated in dainty
French fashion, and the table service was exceedingly attractive. Patty
was much amused at the revolving chair which she had to learn how to
get into, but after being twirled to her place she concluded it was a
wise provision for a dining-room of such uncertain level.
Mrs. Farrington sat at the captain's right hand, and next to her was
her husband, then Elise, and then Patty. Patty at once began to wonder
who would occupy the chair next beyond herself, and was exceedingly
interested when the steward turned it around to accommodate a lady who
was approaching.
The newcomer was without doubt a Frenchwoman, somewhat elderly, but
very vigorous and active. She had masses of snow-white hair, and large,
alert, black eyes that seemed to dart quickly from one point of
interest to another. She was a little lady, but her gait and manner
were marked by an air not only of aristocracy, but as of one accustomed
to exert absolute authority. Nor was she apparently of a mild and
amiable disposition. She spoke sharply to the steward, although he was
doing his best to serve her.
"And is it that you shall be all night in arranging my chair?" she
exclaimed. Then, as she was finally seated, she continued her
grumbling. "And is it not enough that I must be delayed, but still I
have received no MENU? One shall see if this is to be permitted!"
The steward did not seem unduly alarmed at the little old lady's angry
speech, but hastened to bring her the daintily printed bill of fare.
Raising her jewelled lorgnon, the French lady scanned the MENU, and
having made a choice of soup, she laid the card down, and turning
toward Patty surveyed her leisurely through her glasses.
Her manner as she scrutinised Patty was by no means rude or
impertinent. It had rather the effect of an honest curiosity and a
polite interest.
"There is no denying, my dear," she said at last, "that you are of a
beauty. And of a sweetness. An American of Americans. New York--is it
not so?"
There was an indefinable charm about the old lady's manner that won
Patty's heart at once, and though in any case she would have been
polite, she answered with cordiality:
"Yes, madame, I live in New York, although I was born in the South and
lived there for many years."
"Ah, then, it is explained. It is your Southern States that make the
charm, the aplomb, without the--what you call--the--the freshness. Is
it not so? But I do not mean the freshness of the cheek; and yet, in
the argot do you not say freshness is cheek? Ah, I am bewildered; I am
mixup with your strange words; but I will learn them! They shall not
conquer me! And you will help me; is it not so?"
"I will help you with pleasure, madame," replied Patty, dimpling with
fun as she heard the old lady's unsuccessful attempts in American
slang. "My name is Patty Fairfield; and though I seldom use the slang
of my country, I'm more or less familiar with its terms, and can
enlighten you concerning them, at least to a degree. To me your
language is difficult; but perhaps we may by conversation help each
other."
"Patty Fairfield; a pleasant name for a pleasant child. But I'm not
madame; pray call me ma'amselle. I am Ma'amselle Labesse."
"You are a Frenchwoman, of course?" inquired Patty.
"A Frenchwoman, yes; but of an admiration for your strange American
country. I go home now, but I shall return again. Your country is of an
interest."
As Patty looked around at the others at their table, she felt that she
had been fortunate in sitting next to the old ma'amselle. For though
she could not judge entirely by appearances, no one else at the table
seemed to be so quaintly interesting as the old French lady.
Patty soon discovered that even a "few miles of dancing upon the blue
water" had decidedly sharpened her appetite, and she did full justice
to the delicate viands and delicious French cookery placed before her.
She and Elise chatted happily, and after introducing her companions on
either side to each other the conversation became general.
Under the influence of the comradeship always felt on a French liner,
the people across the table became sociably inclined, and acquaintances
were made rapidly.
After dinner our party went out on deck, and though warm wraps were
necessary, the crisp, clear air was delightful, and the starry sky and
tumbling black water fascinated Patty beyond all words. She leaned
against the rail, watching the waves as they dashed and plashed below,
breaking into white foam as the steamer ploughed through them. Patty
was very susceptible to new impressions, and the great expanse of black
water beneath the dome of the star-studded black sky filled her with an
awe and reverence which she had never known before.
Elise stood quietly beside her, with her hand through Patty's arm, and
together the girls silently enjoyed the sombre beauty of the scene.
"Are you afraid, Patty?" asked Elise.
Patty laughed a little, and then she said: "I don't know as I can make
you understand it, Elise, for it sounds so ridiculous when it's put
into words. But it's this way with me: In my imagination, when I think
of this little cockleshell of a boat tossing on this great, deep, black
ocean, which may engulf it at any moment, I have a certain feeling of
fear, which seems to belong to the situation. But really, my common
sense tells me that these staunch steamships are constructed for the
very purpose of carrying people safely across the sea, and that there
is almost no danger at all of their doing otherwise. So you see it only
depends on whether I'm in a mood of poetical imagination or practical
common sense as to whether I'm afraid or not."
"Patty," said Elise, with a little sigh, "you are certainly clever. Now
I never could have reasoned the thing out like that, and yet I see just
what you mean."
"Throw bouquets at yourself, then, Elise," said Patty, laughing, "for
you're a great deal more clever to see what I mean than I am to say it!"
After a brisk walk up and down the deck for a time the girls tucked
themselves snugly into their deck chairs by the side of the elder
Farringtons.
"How do you like it so far, Patty?" asked Mr. Farrington.
"It's simply perfect," declared Patty enthusiastically. "It's awfully
different from what I thought it would be, and ever so much nicer. I
thought it would be impossible to walk across the deck without tumbling
all over and catching hold of everything. But we can walk around just
as if in a house, and everything is comfortable, even luxurious, and
it's all so clean."
Mrs. Farrington laughed at this. "Of course it's clean, child," she
said; "it's only on land that we are under the tyranny of dust and
dirt. But as for tumbling around the deck, that may come later. Don't
imagine the sea is never rougher than it is to-night."
"I hope it will be rougher," said Patty. "I don't want a fearful storm,
but I would like a little pitching and tossing."
"You'll probably get it," said Mr. Farrington. "And now, my cherished
ones, let us take a look in at the library and drawing-room, and then
let us seek our staterooms."
So the parry adjourned to the brilliantly lighted saloon, where many of
the passengers had congregated to spend the after-dinner hour. It was a
beautiful apartment, even more gorgeous and elaborate than the
dining-room, and furnished with inviting-looking easy-chairs, sofas,
and divans of puffy upholstery. Gilt-framed tables were scattered about
for the benefit of the card-players, and attractively appointed
writing-desks made Patty suddenly realise that she wanted to write
letters home at once. But remembering that they could not possibly be
mailed for ten days to come, she decided to defer them at least until
the morrow.
Well-filled bookcases attracted the girls' attention, and
notwithstanding the large amount of reading matter they had of their
own, they were glad to see some well-known favourites behind the glass
doors.
Patty was surprised when Mr. Farrington proposed that they should all
go to the dining-room for a bit of supper before retiring. It seemed to
her but a short time since they had dined; and yet she realised the
suggestion was not entirely unwelcome.
"Is it imperative that we shall eat more meals on sea than on land?"
she inquired, as they took their places at the table.
"Not imperative, perhaps," the captain answered her, smiling, "but
unless you seem to appreciate my cook's efforts to please you I shall
have to pitch him overboard; and it is not easy to find another chef in
mid-ocean."
"Then," said Patty gaily, "I shall certainly do all I can to save the
poor man from a dreadful fate. And it does not seem to me that I shall
have any difficulty in keeping my part of the bargain." As Patty spoke
she was nibbling away with great satisfaction at a caviare sandwich and
bestowing a pleased glance on a glass of orange sherbet which the
steward had just brought to her.
The captain was a large and important-looking personage, with the black
moustache and imperiale of the true Frenchman. His manner was expansive
and very cordial; and as he had known the Farringtons for many years he
was quite ready to welcome Patty for their sake as well as her own.
Indeed, he had taken an immediate liking to the pretty American girl,
and as French captains are prone to make favourites among their
passengers, Patty was immediately assigned in his chivalrous heart to
such a position.
He bade her a pleasant good-night as she left the dining-room, and was
delighted with her naive expressions of admiration and appreciation of
his beautiful ship.
When the girls reached their stateroom they suddenly realised that they
were quite tired out after the excitements of the day, and were very
glad to let Lisette brush their hair and assist them in preparing for
bed. As Patty nestled snugly between the coarse linen sheets she felt a
drowsy enjoyment of the gentle rolling motion of the steamer, and
almost immediately fell into a sound, dreamless sleep.