AN EXCITING ADVENTURE
Another half hour went by, and Patty, looking at her watch, said, “Why,
it’s after nine o’clock! We will now eat our grapes. I meant to offer
some to that dear old lady, but she preferred violets, so I had no
chance.”
The girls ate the grapes, and though they didn’t refer to it, each
secretly wished Mr. Fairfield would come back.
“It does seem queer,” said Patty at last, “for father to stay so long
away. But of course, he thinks the Orsinis are still with us, and if
they were, I wouldn’t give a thought to father’s long absence.”
“He’s probably fallen asleep,” said Flo.
“Of course he has! That’s just it! His dinner and his smoke made him
sleepy, and he dropped off before he knew it. Well, if he doesn’t wake
up before, he’ll have to come and get us when we get to Venice.”
“Maybe he’ll sleep right through.”
“Well, when we get to Venice, I’ll get out then, and hunt up the Royal
Danieli men, and they’ll find him.”
“How capable you Americans are! I don’t mind confessing that I’m a bit
scared.”
“Pshaw! what is there to be scared at? We’re as safe here as we can be.
Nothing can harm us. The guards would look after us if there were any
danger, but there isn’t any.”
“No, I suppose not,” Flo agreed, but she spoke hesitatingly.
As for Patty, she was not really alarmed, but she couldn’t helping
wishing her father would come back. It would be all well enough in
America or even in England; but alone on an Italian railway, where she
couldn’t make herself understood, and in a country where young ladies
are allowed little or no unconventionality, she had secret misgivings.
But it would never do to let Flo know she was troubled, so she said,
gaily:
“Well, if daddy can have a nice long nap, so can I. Come, let’s fold up
our coats for pillows and drop asleep ourselves.”
“Oh, no, Patty! It might be dangerous.”
“Pooh, it’s no more dangerous asleep than awake. I’m going to try it
anyhow.”
Patty made Flo comfortable first. She opened her dressing case, and
taking out the Cologne water, bathed Flo’s temples refreshingly. Then
she folded her coat, and tucked it beneath her head, and said quietly:
“You needn’t sleep, dear, if you don’t want to, but you’ll rest better
that way.”
Flo gave her a grateful smile and closed her eyes in order to rest them.
She was tired with the exertions of the day, and the long railway
journey, and Patty was not surprised when, after a very few moments,
she saw that Flo was, without doubt, fast asleep.
As for Patty Fairfield, she had no intention of going to sleep, and
couldn’t have done so, anyway. She felt the responsibility of the
situation, for Snippy had left Flo in Mr. Fairfield’s charge, and
in his absence loyal Patty felt herself his representative. She sat
upright, staring out of the window into the darkness or watching the
doorway, where she expected every moment to see her father enter.
Bereft of even Flo’s chatter, she grew more and more lonely, and only
as the hands of her watch neared ten o’clock did she begin to brighten
up, on the knowledge that they must now soon reach Venice.
“But these trains are always late,” she thought, “so I shan’t hope to
get there before half-past ten.”
And then the time dragged along slowly. Half-past ten came, and no sign
of her father.
She had drawn the window curtain, but she pushed it aside, hoping to
see the lights of Venice. Only a rushing darkness greeted her eyes. She
looked at Flo. It seemed a pity to wake her, and yet Patty felt she
couldn’t endure this loneliness and suspense much longer. She knew the
train should get in at ten, and surely a half hour was enough to allow
for the usual tardiness.
But on went the hands of her little watch, and as it neared eleven
Patty couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Flo,” she said, gently touching the sleeping girl, “Flo, dear.” Flo
moved uneasily, opened her eyes, closed them again, and was as sound
asleep as ever.
“Well, I’ll let her be,” thought Patty, unselfishly. “She couldn’t
help any, and I don’t know that there’s anything to be helped. I
suppose there’s nothing wrong. What could be? Father’s asleep in the
smoking-car, and Flo’s asleep here, so I may as well sit patiently till
we reach Venice, and then they’ll have to wake up, whether they want to
or not.”
A guard came through the corridor, and looked in at the compartment
door.
He said something in Italian, which Patty couldn’t understand. But she
showed him her watch, and said “Venice? stazione? when?”
She pointed to the hands, and partly comprehending, the guard took
out his own watch and indicated that they would reach the _stazione_
(station) at quarter to twelve.
“Train late?” said Patty, smiling, and still partly understanding, the
guard said, “Si, signorina,” bowed, and went away.
A little cheered at having had some one to speak to, even if for a most
unsatisfactory conversation, Patty sat down again to wait. Her heart
was quite light now, for it was nearly time to reach Venice, and then
all would be well. At half-past eleven she wakened Flo.
“Get up, girlie,” she cried. “We’re almost to Venice, and you must tidy
your hair and put your hat on.”
Flo sat up, wide awake all at once. “Where’s your father?” she said.
“He hasn’t come back,” said Patty, feeling somehow guilty under Flo’s
accusing glance, but determined to stand up for her father. “He must
have fallen asleep, just as you did. I tried twice to wake you, but you
slept like a log.”
“And you’ve been all alone? Oh, Patty, I’m so sorry! Do forgive me!”
“Not at all, you sleepy child. It’s all right, I see lights outside
already. Here, put on your hat.”
Flo rose and yawned, as she took her hat from Patty. They furbished up
their toilets a bit, and soon were all ready to leave the train. Patty
pushed the curtain up, and gazed out of the window.
“The lights are growing thicker now,” she said; “we’re almost in. I
should think the porter would wake father up by this time. Well, I’m
very sure nothing has happened to him.”
Patty’s decided statement gave Flo a clue that Patty _was_ secretly
afraid something _had_ happened to her father, and as Flo had had such
a fear all the time, she, too, stoutly denied it.
“Of course not! Nothing could happen to him. He’s just asleep, as I
was. I don’t see how you got me awake at all. Snippy has to throw cold
water in my face to do it.”
The train drew into the great station. There were many lights, but not
many people about, which was doubtless because of the lateness of the
hour.
The guard threw open the door of their compartment, and the two girls
got out. Patty thought the guard looked at them a little curiously, and
supposing he was desirous of a fee, she gave him some coins. He bowed,
and still hovered near them.
“Where is the smoking-car?” asked Patty, but the guard knew not the
strange word, and only shook his head.
“Flo,” said Patty, looking about, “we’d better stand right here. When
father gets out of his car, he’ll come here for us. But didn’t you
think Venice had water streets? These are ordinary roads. And I see
lots of omnibuses, but no gondolas.”
“I suppose the water streets are only in the main part of the city,”
said Flo. “It does seem to be solid land all around the station. I
can’t see any water anywhere.”
“Well, there must be some, somewhere. Flo, where _do_ you suppose
father is?”
“I don’t know, Patty, and,--and, I’m--awfully frightened.”
“Well, you just stop being frightened. I tell you everything is all
right,--or will be, in a minute.”
The crowd was moving along toward the entrance to the station, through
which all the incoming passengers must go, and Patty reluctantly said,
“We’d better go on into the station, Flo. We can’t stand here, and
father will surely find us there, if--if----”
Patty nearly broke down, for a sudden conviction had come to her that
something serious _must_ have happened to keep Mr. Fairfield from them
now. The two girls, with their light luggage still in their hands,
followed the crowd through the ticket gate.
“Biglietti,” said the ticket man.
“I haven’t any,” said Patty, and without waiting to hear the man’s
surprised protest, Patty pushed Flo ahead of her, and they went on into
the waiting-room of the station.
“Something has happened, Flo,” she said, “something awful,
perhaps,--but I can’t imagine what it is. Now, we’re alone, and
unprotected in a strange land, and it’s up to us to be brave and
sensible. I shall take the gondola or omnibus, or whatever goes to
the Royal Danieli Hotel, and go right straight there. Then we can get
somebody to look for father. But two young girls can do nothing, and
we’d only waste time.”
“You’re splendid, Patty,” said Flo, who was struggling hard to keep
from crying. “I’m no good at all, but I’ll do just as you say.”
They went on to the platform, where a dozen or more omnibuses stood
waiting, with their doors hospitably open. Names of hotels were in
gilded letters over the doors, but Patty could not see the one she
sought.
But at last she discovered an official, who seemed to be a sort
of station agent or train-despatcher, and he had such a kindly,
intelligent face that she addressed him:
“Do you speak English?” she said.
“Yes, miss, a little,” he replied, looking at her with a questioning
expression.
“Then please tell me where is the Royal Danieli Hotel?”
“It is in Venice, miss.”
“Oh, yes, of course, I know it is in Venice; but I mean where is its
omnibus? how can I get to it?”
“To get to it, you must go to Venice, ma’am.”
“But I am in Venice!”
“No, ma’am, you are in Milan.”
“What?” cried Patty, aghast at his words.
“This is Milan, ma’am.”
“Are you,--are you quite sure?” Even in her bewildered horror, Patty
realised the ludicrousness of this question.
“Perceive the signboard, ma’am.” The man pointed to large-lettered
sign, which unmistakably announced Milano.
“Flo,” said Patty, in a scared, little voice, “I don’t know what it
means, but it seems we are in Milan instead of in Venice.”
“Oh, Patty!” gasped Flo, as she clung desperately to Patty’s arm; “what
shall we do?”
“I don’t know,” said Patty, slowly; “it’s a pretty serious thing for
two girls to be alone in the middle of the night in a strange Italian
city.
“But I took the train for Venice,” said Patty to the man, and her tone
had in it a faint tinge of accusation, though of course the man was in
no way responsible.
“So, ma’am?” he replied, and in an instant Patty saw that he did not
believe her statements, and that he was covertly laughing at them.
“Come away, Flo,” she said, sternly, and marched the now weeping girl
into the station again.
“Listen, Flo,” said Patty, her face assuming a very grave look. “We are
in an awful predicament. Perhaps more awful than we know ourselves.
We are in Milan, there’s no doubt of that. That’s why we didn’t see
any water or gondolas. Where father is I’ve no idea. Of course there
was some mistake about the train. He may be gone on to Venice,--though
I don’t see how he could have done that without us,--or he may be in
some other city. At any rate, he’s quite as anxious about us as we
can possibly be about ourselves. Now, I don’t know what’s going to
happen to us, but I’m going to do the very best I can to prove that an
American girl can take care of herself in an emergency. We won’t speak
to that man out there again; he’s horrid, and he doesn’t believe what
we say. The ticket office is closed. There’s no one reliable around but
the drivers of those omnibuses. I shall appeal to them.”
“Why don’t you speak to some of the travellers?” asked Flo.
“Oh, you never can judge about them; and they’re mostly Italians
anyway. Have you any money?”
“No; only a little change. Snippy carries the purse.”
“Well, I’ve not very much, but I think I’ve enough. Now, come with me.
Stand by me, and don’t act one bit frightened. That’s all you can do to
help,--so _do it!_”
When Patty was face to face with a serious emergency, it always made
her curt of speech, and her stern manner made Flo recover herself
at once, so that it was two very dignified-looking young women who
approached the drivers who, whip in hand, stood lined up along the
platform.
Although they sometimes seemed eager to attract passengers, none of
them asked the girls to get into their vehicles, and Patty went along
until she came to one whose face she liked.
“Do you speak English?” she asked, as she looked at him coldly.
“Yes, madame.”
“Which is the largest and best hotel in Milan, near the station?”
The driver pointed to a large hotel just across the road, scarcely a
stone’s throw from the station itself.
“The Palace Hotel, madame,” he said respectfully.
“Where is its omnibus?”
“There, madame,” and he pointed to a well-appointed vehicle standing
near.
“Get in, Flo,” said Patty, briefly. “Thank you,” she added, turning to
bestow a coin on the man.
“To the hotel,” she then directed, as she got into the omnibus, and
seated herself beside Flo.
“Oh, Patty!” said Flo, trembling, as she grasped Patty’s hand. They
were all alone in the omnibus, and in two minutes it was entering the
driveway of the hotel.
“Be careful, now,” said Patty, still sternly. “We’re not out of the
woods yet,--and if you cry or look distressed you’ll spoil all I’m
trying to do, and I’ll not answer for the consequences. Now, brace up!”
Flo braced up, and as they alighted from the omnibus, Patty motioned
for the porter to bring the bags and wraps.
She went directly to the desk, where the night attendant was.
“You speak English, of course?” she said.
“Yes, mademoiselle.”
“We have had an accident,--a misfortune. My friend and myself must
stay here to-night. I wish to engage three communicating rooms, and I
wish also the services of a maid,--I prefer an elderly woman,--who will
remain with us through the night and will occupy the third room.”
“Yes, mademoiselle.” The man looked astonished, but Patty’s quiet
dignity, and Flo’s impassive English stolidity, gave them an air of
authority, which he was disinclined to ignore.
“Our large luggage was left on the train, owing to the--accident,” went
on Patty. “I will pay you fifty francs in advance and will settle the
rest of the bill to-morrow. For the present it is imperative that we go
to our rooms at once.”
“Yes, mademoiselle,” repeated the bewildered man. He was accustomed to
American guests, but this was a new type.
He rang a bell, he despatched one or two messengers, he called a
porter, and in a few moments Patty saw her bag and cloak carried by,
the elevator door thrown open, and a pleasant-faced matronly woman
coming toward them.
“This is Mrs. Ponderby, mademoiselle. She is one of our linen-keepers,
but she is English, and most trusty and capable, so I offer you her
services.”
Patty almost fell into the arms of the kind-looking woman, she was so
glad to see her, but she only shook hands and said, “I am glad to have
your services, Mrs. Ponderby,--come, let us go upstairs.”