When they had gone by, I started forward again to watch them--I could
hear the little girl cry, "Oh! look Alathea!" as she pointed to the sky,
and then all three began to quicken their pace down another _allée_, in
the direction of Auteuil, and were soon out of sight.
Then, still quivering with emotion, I too glanced heavenward--Ye Gods!
what a storm was coming on--!
Where were they going? there into the deep wood?--it was a good mile or
two from the Auteuil gate--They would be soaked to the skin when the
rain did commence to fall--and there was a thunder storm beginning
also--were they quite safe?
All these thoughts tormented me, and I gave the chauffeur orders to take
a road I thought might cut across the path they had followed, and when
we reached the spot, I made him wait.
The livid lightning rent the sky and the thunder roared like guns, and
the few people in sight rushed, panic-stricken, in a hopeless search for
shelter--far greater fear on their faces than they show at German bombs.
My chauffeur complained audibly, as he got down to shut the car--Did
Monsieur wish to be struck by lightning? he demanded, very enraged.
Still I waited--but no Sharp family appeared--and at last I knew I had
missed them somehow--a very easy thing in that path-bisected wood. So I
told him he could drive like hell to my _appartement_ in the _Place des
Etats Unis_--and off we rushed in the now torrential rain--It was one of
the worst thunder storms I have ever seen in my life.
I was horribly worried as to what could have happened to that little
party, for that _alleé_ where I had seen them, was in the very middle of
the _Bois_, and far from any gate or shelter. They must have got soaking
wet if nothing worse had happened to them. And how could I hear anything
about them?--What should I do? Was the Duchesse in Paris?--Could I find
the address possibly from her? But would she be likely to know it? just
because Miss Sharp--"Alathea"--(what a lovely Greek name!) brought
bandages to the hospital?
However, this was worth trying, and I could hardly wait to get out of
the motor, and get to the telephone. The _concierge_ came out with an
umbrella in great concern and took me up in the lift herself--and there
was Burton waiting for me, he had come in by train to take me back
safely later on.
How I cursed my folly in not having asked Miss Sharp herself for her
address! Could Burton possibly know it?--How silly of me not to have
thought of that before!
"Burton, I saw Miss Sharp and her family in the _Bois_--do you know
their address by chance?--I want to ring up and find out if they got
home all right."
Burton could see my anxiety--and actually hurried in his reply!
"They live in Auteuil, Sir Nicholas, but I can't exactly say where--the
young lady never seems very particular to give me the address. She said
I should not be needing it, and that they were likely to move."
"Get on to the Duchesse de Courville-Hautevine as quickly as you can--."
Burton did so at once, but it seemed a long time.
--No, Madame la Duchesse was down at Hautevine taking some fresh
convalescents, and would not return until the middle of the week--if
then!