SIGHTSEEING
They rose next morning to find a perfect autumn day awaiting them. To
Patty's surprise, dainty breakfast trays were brought to their bedsides.
"It is the custom of the country," Elise explained; "nobody ever goes
downstairs to breakfast in Paris."
"It's a custom that suits me well enough--at least, what there is of
it. I'm free to confess that this rather smallish cup of chocolate and
two not very large rolls and a tiny bit of butter do not seem to me all
that a healthy appetite can desire."
"I'm afraid you're an incorrigible American," said Elise, laughing.
"Now, this little spread is ample for me, but I dare say you can have
more if you want it."
"No indeed," said Patty; "when I'm in Paris, I'll do as the Romans do,
even if I starve."
But Patty didn't starve, for it was not long before Mr. Farrington sent
word that the girls were to come downstairs as soon as possible,
equipped for a drive.
But before the drive he insisted that they should eat a good and
substantial breakfast, as he wanted them to put in a long morning
sightseeing.
Mrs. Farrington had concluded not to go with them, as she was resting
after her journey, and, moreover, the sights were not such a novelty to
her as they would be to the young people.
So when they were all ready to start they found an automobile at the
door, waiting for them.
"This is the most comfortable way to see Paris," said Mr. Farrington as
they got in. "I have taken this car for a week on trial, and if it
proves satisfactory we can keep it all winter."
A chauffeur drove the car, and Mr. Farrington sat in the tonneau
between the two girls, that he might point out to them the places of
interest.
If Patty had thought Paris beautiful by night she thought it even more
so in the clear, bright sunshine. There is no sunshine in the world
quite so clearly bright as that of Paris, or at least it seems so.
"I want you to get the principal locations fixed in your minds," said
Mr. Farrington, "so now, as you see, we are starting from the Place
Vendome, going straight down the short Rue Castiglione to the Rue de
Rivoli. Now, we have reached the corner, and we turn into the Rue de
Rivoli. This is a beautiful street, crowded with shops on one side, and
on the other side at this point you see the garden of the Tuileries. We
turn to the right and go directly to the Place de la Concorde. As we
reach it you may see to the right, up through the Rue Royale, the
Church of the Madeleine. That is one of the most beautiful of the Paris
churches, and you shall visit it, of course, but not now. To-day I want
you to get merely a birdseye view, a sort of general idea of locations.
But here we are in the Place de la Concorde. The Obelisk, which you see
in the centre, was brought from Egypt many years ago. It is very like
our own Obelisk in Central Park, and also Cleopatra's needle in London.
From here we turn into one of the most beautiful avenues in the world,
the Champs Elysees. This avenue extends from the Place de la Concorde
to the Arc de Triomphe. Viewing it as we do now, rolling along this
perfect road in a motor car--or automobile, as we must learn to call it
while in France--you are taking, no doubt, one of the most perfect
rides in the world. The full name of the arch is Arc de Triomphe de
l'Etoile. This means a star, and it is called thus because it is a
centre from which radiate no less than a dozen beautiful avenues. We
will drive slowly round the arch, that you may see its general beauty,
but we will not now stop to examine it closely."
"It is so different," exclaimed Patty, "to see these things in reality,
or to study about them in history. I've seen pictures of this arch lots
of times, but it never seemed before as if it were a real thing. Isn't
it beautiful! I think I could spend a whole day looking at it."
Patty's love of the beautiful was intuitive and all embracing. She knew
little of architecture or sculpture technically, but the sublime
majesty and imposing grandeur of the noble arch impressed her, as it
does all true beauty lovers.
"The continuation of the Champs Elysees beyond the arch," went on Mr.
Farrington, "changes its name and becomes the Avenue de la Grand Armee.
But we will not continue along that way at present, but take the next
avenue to the left, which is the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne."
"Why, I thought that was a forest," said Patty; "is it a street?"
"It's an avenue," replied Mr. Farrington, "and it leads to the forest,
or rather park, which is called the Bois de Boulogne. We can take only
a short drive into the park, but you may see a few of the beautiful
chateaus, which are the homes of the wealthy or aristocratic French
people. You will not meet many equipages at this hour in the morning,
but late in the afternoon there is a continuous stream of fine turnouts
of all sorts. There are many, many places of interest in the Bois, but
as we have all winter in which to visit them, we will content ourselves
to-day with a brief visit."
"It begins to look," said Patty, "as if even a whole winter would be
all too short to see the beauties and glories of this wonderful Paris."
"Indeed, it would be too short to see everything of interest, but I can
assure you, my child, that with an automobile and some idea of
systematic sightseeing we can do a great deal even in one winter."
Mr. Farrington pointed out various prominent buildings as they passed
them, and then, turning round, went back to the city. A swift ride
about Paris showed to the girls such interesting places as the Louvre,
and the Hotel de Ville, the Place de la Bastile, the Hotel des
Invalides, the Pantheon, and the Church of Notre-Dame.
At the last named Mr. Farrington proposed that they get out and make a
short visit to the cathedral.
They did so, and both Patty and Elise were much impressed by the noble
beauty of the interior.
As they passed around the church Patty noticed a little Frenchwoman,
who seemed to be selling candles. The candles were of an unusual
type-long, slender and very tapering. It occurred to Patty that she
would like to take some home to Nan, as they would be most effective in
an odd brass candlestick which was one of Nan's chief treasures. The
candlestick had seven branches, and as her French seemed to desert her
at the critical moment, Patty indicated her wants by holding up seven
fingers, pointing to the candles and then taking out her purse.
The Frenchwoman seemed to understand, and began counting out seven
candles. Patty looked anxiously after Mr. Farrington and Elise, who had
gone on ahead, not noticing that Patty had stopped. But she knew she
could soon catch up to them if only she could get her candles and
manage to pay for them in the confusing and unfamiliar French money. As
she was counting out the change, greatly to her surprise, the
Frenchwoman lighted her seven candles, one after the other. Patty
exclaimed in dismay, wondering if she did it to test their wicks, or
what could be the reason. But even as she watched her the woman placed
the candles, all seven of them, in a sort of a branched candlestick on
the wall above her head.
"Non! Non!" cried Patty; "they are MINE, MINE! comprenez-vous? Mine!"
"Oui, oui, oui," exclaimed the Frenchwoman, nodding her head
complacently, and taking Patty's money, which she put in a box on the
table before her.
"But I want them!" cried Patty. "I want to take them away with me!"
Still the woman smiled amiably, and Patty realised she was not
understanding a word. But all Patty's French, and it was not very much
at best, seemed to fly out of her head and she could not even think how
to say, "I wish to take them away with me." So seeing nothing else to
do, she cut the Gordian knot of her dilemma by reaching up and taking
the candles from the sockets. She blew them out, and holding them in a
bundle, said pleasantly, "Papier?" having thought of a French word at
last that expressed what she wished.
The woman looked at her in amazement, as if she had done something
wrong, and poor Patty was thoroughly perplexed.
"Why, I bought them," she exclaimed, forgetting the Frenchwoman could
not understand her, "and I paid you for them, and now they're mine, And
I'm going to take them away. If you won't give me any paper to wrap
them in, I'll carry them as they are. Eon jour!"
But by this time Mr. Farrington and Elise had returned in search of
their missing comrade, and Patty appealed to Mr. Farrington, explaining
that she had purchased the candles.
"Why, yes, they're yours, child, and certainly you may take them away
if you like. But it is not customary; usually people buy the candles to
burn at the shrine of their patron saint, or in memory of some friend,
and, of course, the woman supposed that was your intention."
"Well, I'm glad to understand it," said Patty, "and I wish you'd please
explain it to her, for I certainly do want to keep the candles, and I
couldn't make her understand."
So Mr. Farrington explained the state of the case in French that the
woman could understand, and all was well, and Patty walked off in
triumph with her candles.
Then they went back past the Louvre, and leaving the automobile again,
they went for a short walk in the garden of the Tuileries. This also
fascinated Patty, and she thought it beautiful beyond all words.
After that Mr. Farrington declared that the girls must be exhausted,
and he took them to a delightful cafe, where he refreshed them with
ices and small cakes.
"Now," he said, "I don't suppose the Eternal Feminine in your nature
will be satisfied without doing a little shopping. The large shops--the
Bon Marche and the Magasin du Louvre--are very like our own department
stores, and if you choose you may go there at some other time with Mrs.
Farrington or Lisette, for I confess my ignorance of feminine
furbelows. But I will take you to one or two interesting shops on the
Rue de Rivoli, and then if we have time to a few in the Avenue de
l'Opera."
Their first stop was at a picture shop, and Patty nearly went wild over
the beautiful photographs and water colours. She wanted to purchase
several, but Mr. Farrington advised her to wait until later, when she
should perhaps be better able to judge what she really wanted.
"For you see," he said, "after you have been to the Louvre and other
great galleries, and have made favourites, as you will, among the
pictures there, you will then be able to collect your photographs more
intelligently."
Patty was quite ready to abide by this advice, and she and Elise
enjoyed looking over the pictures and anticipating future purchases.
But though the shops along the Rue de Rivoli were attractive, they were
not nearly so splendid as those on the Avenue de l'Opera. Indeed, Mr.
Farrington almost regretted having brought the girls there, for they
quite forgot all else in their delight in looking at the beautiful
wares. They seemed content just to walk along the avenue looking in at
the shop windows.
"I don't want to buy anything yet," declared Patty. "Later on I expect
to get souvenirs for all of the people at home, and I have any amount
of orders to execute for Marian."
"Won't it be fun to do our shopping here?" exclaimed Elise. "I never
saw such lovely things, and truly, Patty, the prices marked on them are
quite cheap. Much more reasonable than in New York, I think."
"So do I. And oh, Elise, just look at the lovely things in this window!
See that lovely pen-wiper, and that dear paper-cutter! Aren't they
unusual?"
"Yes," exclaimed Elise, equally rapturous; "I don't wonder, Patty, that
people like to shop in Paris. It is truly fascinating. But just wait
until we get mother out here with us instead of father. She won't
fidget around as if she wanted us to go home before we've fairly
started!"
Elise looked reproachfully at her father, who was undeniably fidgeting.
"I'm glad you appreciate the fact," he said, "that I am impatient to
get away from these shop windows. Never again will I introduce two
young girls into the Parisian shopping district. I've learned my
lesson; I'll take you sightseeing, but Mrs. Farrington must take you
shopping."
Patty laughed good-naturedly, and expressed her willingness to return
at once to the hotel.