CHAPTER IV: BETTY MEETS THE COUNTESS
"We shall not worry about being late, Betty. They have to get throughcustoms first and it is doubtful if all the baggage is off the vessel asyet. It can not have been in long."
Nevertheless Betty could see that her father was uneasy. The taxi lostno time in speeding from the ferry to the pier where the great shipstood. Such a coming and going of cars and buses, in and out of a greatentrance! Other cars and taxies waited their turn outside. Their taxifound a place to stop and deliver its passengers, but Mr. Lee had tosteer Betty carefully through the throng of people and cars.
Next came the art of finding their friends. Mr. Lee had cards whichentitled them to enter customs. "My, I hope we find them!" said Bettyfor the third or fourth time. "And oh, how do you speak to a countess?Shall we call her 'La Countessa'? or just Countess Coletti? And what isthe daughter of a countess called--anything at all? Or could I call her'Signorina?'?" Betty had been reading an Italian story.
"I'm sure I don't know, Betty, but it would be sensible, I think, tokeep to English, especially as the countess is an American. I shall notget away from 'Countess Coletti' and perhaps we shall not have toaddress the daughter particularly. 'Miss Coletti' does sound like afunny combination, doesn't it! Try out 'la signorina' if you like. Idon't know that we are of any special importance anyway." They wereclimbing the stairs now and Betty's father gave her arm a little squeezeas he spoke, looking laughingly down into her face.
"Yes, we _are_," said Betty, "and we can _learn_ how to do it_properly_!"
Fortunately the countess and her daughter had not yet finished withcustoms. When Mr. Lee and Betty found the proper place and stood lookingabout, they had little difficulty in selecting the two whom they thoughtwere the countess and her daughter. "We ought to have arranged to wear ared rose or a white gardenia or something," said Betty. "But that is thecountess, I'm sure. Look, she has a maid with a lot of little baggage,and everybody is doing things for her. Wait a minute, Daddy. She'shaving an argument with the customs officer, I guess--isn't she?"
Mr. Lee did wait. Though anxious to serve the lady, he did not care tosponsor her declaration in regard to duty payable to Uncle Sam, and itmust be said that the countess looked perfectly able to take care of herown interests. But the affair seemed to be adjusted amicably. A greatquantity of baggage, it seemed, was hastily examined, and as Mr. Lee sawthat they would soon be ready for departure, he approached, with Betty.
"Is this the Countess Coletti?" he inquired politely, though by thistime he had noted the name upon one of the trunks. "Your brother, Mr.Murchison----"
"Oh, did Lem send you to meet me?" vivaciously the countess interrupted,"That is good. I was just wondering if any one was here. Where's Lem?"
Mr. Lee had had no opportunity to mention who he was, but he explainedthat her brother was not able to leave affairs and that he would makeany arrangements for her and her daughter. "My name is Lee, CountessColetti, and this is my daughter, Betty."
"Oh, yes," brightly answered the countess, "I am very happy to metyou--and Miss Betty. This is my daughter Lucia, Mr. Lee--and Miss Lee.Now if we can arrange to have all this baggage sent to whatever stationmy brother said, and get us to a hotel for the night, I shall be verymuch obliged. I want to go right on through tomorrow; but Lucia is verymuch upset and so am I, for that matter. It was a horribly roughpassage. This customs business is always so trying!"
"I am sorry to have been late," said Mr. Lee, "but the hour told me overthe telephone was much later."
"Oh, yes. You never can tell. It wouldn't have made any difference. Theywere very good about getting all my baggage off early, as I made quite apoint of it. There were mobs on this boat, from first class down.Suppose we get out of here."
"I have a taxi waiting, Madam," said Mr. Lee, starting to escort thecountess down to where his taxi driver had said he would be waitinginside. By this time it was very likely that he had been able to enter.Betty and a very unresponsive girl of about her own height and agefollowed. My, but the countess was pretty! And if she had any foreignairs they were laid aside for the present. But the daughter was cool,and though polite, most uninterested in the two people whom she had justmet. "Poor thing," thought Betty, "she is worn out and half sick; but Iwish I'd had her chance of crossing the ocean, even if it was so rough."
Both the countess and her daughter were quietly and suitably dressed forthe occasion of leaving the ship. But oh, how evidently expensiveeverything they wore must have been. The maids were carrying twobeautiful warm coats, which had obviously just been laid aside when thecold sea breezes were past and they were no longer necessary. "Send themaids and the personal baggage in a separate taxi, please," directed thecountess. "We want to be alone."
Whether that was a hint for Mr. Lee and Betty not to accompany them ornot, Mr. Lee did not know, but as he had had no least intention toaccompany them, it did not matter. He had expected, however, that themaids might be wanted.
Pleasantly he assisted the two ladies into the taxi, one chosen for itssuperior appearance, and directed the driver to the hotel, the hotelselected by Mr. Murchison, who requested that Mr. Lee and Betty stay atthe same one. It was not hard to find a second taxi for the maids, fromthe numbers of empty taxis whose drivers were anxious for remunerativepassengers.
"Now, Betty," said Mr. Lee, "for the baggage. You stay in one spot,right here, where I can find you, while I see about having that lot sentto the station. Let us hope that nothing is missed! But the countesstold me the number of pieces, all marked with her name, she said."
"Oh, please let me come with you, Father! It's scary here, and it's suchfun to go around. I see where Lu-_chee_-a and I become intimate friends,don't you?"
Mr. Lee laughed. "The poor child has been seasick," he replied. "But Ifancy that she has been a very unwilling migrant this time. She lookednot only sick but cross."
"Did you notice it, too? But she was real polite to you, Father, anddecent to me. She isn't as good-looking as her mother. I don't blameCount Coletti for falling in love with her. Probably Lucia looks likeher father."
"He is a very handsome man, I understand," returned Mr. Lee. "I thoughtLucia Coletti rather attractive."
"Yes, but not as much so as her mother. Still, it may be just herdisposition that was sticking out tonight!"
"Why, Betty! That isn't like you."
"I guess I'm tired and cross, too. I will wait for you, right here bythe stairs."
Betty had quite a wait of it, but at last her father appeared and theytook a taxi back to the hotel. There her father inquired if thecountess, daughter and maids had arrived and were occupying the suitereserved for them. They had arrived, found everything to theirsatisfaction, and dinner had been sent up to them.
Betty thought that a little more respect for her father was in the voiceof the man at the desk since the arrival of the countess, for whosecomfort Mr. Lee appeared to be responsible. Glad that everything hadgone successfully for her father, Betty took the elevator to her room todress for dinner at the hotel. They did not always dine there, but wouldtonight, her father said. It seemed a pity to "waste" their last nightin New York by staying in the hotel, but Mr. Lee had to arrange forPullman reservations as well as he could at the last minute, for he hadnot had the slightest notion whether the countess would want to stayseveral days in New York--or a month--so far as he knew, or whether shewould want to go on home, to her people. He thought, however, that verylikely the decision would be for home. Mr. Murchison had not intimatedany trouble, but Mr. Lee very strongly suspected that there was somelikelihood of a disagreement between the countess and her husband and apossible separation. This he did not express to Betty.
Fortunately Mr. Lee had no trouble in obtaining reservations on thetrain whose time of leaving and of arrival seemed most suitable. Adrawing room for the countess and her daughter, berths for the maids,and berths for himself and Betty were soon engaged by telephone, and onMonday morning Mr. Lee went to the station to see that eve
rything wasstraight.
This was all very interesting to Betty, whose ideas of how to managethese matters had been very hazy. The reservation for Mr. Lee and Bettywere in another car, which was just as well, Betty thought, though ifthe younger countess--that is, if she is one, thought Betty--had beenfriendly, it would have been fun to talk with her about her school inSwitzerland and what she studied and all.
The trip home, however, proved more interesting than Betty anticipated.Perhaps Countess Coletti had suggested to her daughter that she ought topay a little attention to Betty, who did not see either of them onMonday until the uniformed and meticulous "door-keeper" of the hotel, asBetty called him, put them all into their separate taxis for thestation. Lucia favored Betty with a smile, which Betty returned; andwhen they waited for the train to be called, Lucia asked Betty to besure to come for a visit with her on the way. "It will be so stupid thisafternoon," said Lucia. "I'm too tired to read."
Betty promised, but she waited until she thought Lucia might havereached the state of being bored. So far as Betty was concerned, therewas nothing to tire her, and the scenery was too interesting; guessingwhat the rivers were, asking her father, noting the stops and admiringthe suburbs of Philadelphia in particular, furnished her withconsiderable entertainment. "I think Pennsylvania is the loveliest yet,"she confided to her father. "Let's move to Philadelphia some time!"
"Haven't you had enough of a move already?" asked Mr. Lee.
"I think I like adventure, Father," brightly answered Betty.
"I suppose so," rather wearily her father remarked. "But remember, mylass, that there is a certain safety in being located. Did you say thatthe 'younger countess' asked you to call? I think I should do it,Betty."
"All right, I will. How do I get there?"
"Their car is only one or two in front of ours. Shall I take you?"
"Mercy, no! I can get there after skipping through so many to get to thedining car on the way to New York. Your daughter considers herself quitea traveler by this time."
So Betty, rather dreading the coming interview, departed to bepleasantly surprised. She had no trouble in finding her newacquaintances and discovered that they were really quite interested infinding out all Betty could tell them about school.
"I am going to hate it," said Lucia, who spoke with a decided Italianaccent, but used many Americanisms, probably caught from her mother."But just the same, if I have to, I have to; and will you help me when Icome out to the school the first time?"
"Certainly I will. But are you sure that you will come to Lyon High?"
"Oh, that can be arranged," carelessly returned Lucia, who was used tohaving things "arranged" for her. "I've heard so much about that highschool and if I have to go, I want to go there. There were some Americangirls in my school in Lausanne, so I know a little bit about how theydo. Do you like it?"
"Very much. I'd love to hear you tell about the school in Switzerland,though."
Lucia was in a favorable mood. For the next hour she and Betty talked,while Betty heard about life in foreign countries and what Lucia hadstudied in her different schools there. She was advanced in some lines,Betty found, behind in others, but Betty told her that it all sounded asif she would be a sophomore. "Will you use any title?" Betty rathertimidly asked, for she thought that if Lucia was a "countess orsomething" herself, it would not go so well in school.
Countess Coletti heard the question and replied herself. "Lucia is goingto try democracy, Betty Lee. She will be called Lucia Coletti or MissColetti everywhere. I want her to have a little American training. To besure, I was taught in private schools myself, and Lucia may in timereturn to them. But not until she has done some _good work_ in highschool."
What was back of Countess Coletti's determined tones Betty did not know.But there was some strong feeling there; that was certain.
Lucia did not speak of her father, but when Betty said that it was allfascinating to hear about and asked her where her real home had been,Lucia after a slight hesitation, waxed almost enthusiastic over anItalian villa where she "loved to live" best. Every now and then Luciawould use an Italian expression, which Betty thought very impressive,though she could not help thinking of some less fortunate Italian girlsin school and she wondered how Lucia would treat them, in case she werethrown into classes with them.
But here came Father with the suggestion that it was an appropriate timeto go for dinner. Accordingly, he escorted the countess through thecars, while Betty and Lucia followed. Betty, who always declared thatshe thought of too many funny things, wondered about the maids. But whenthey were all established at a table, with an obsequious waiter takingthe order from the countess first, Betty saw the two maids at aninconspicuous table some distance from them. Probably her father hadarranged it.
Then they had a most "scrumptious" meal, by Betty's report at home. Shegave her father an inquiring glance before she decided upon her ownorder and he smiled upon her; suggesting that she order a good meal, forthe dining car would be taken off and their breakfast would be delayed."We shall probably, all of us, breakfast at home. Mr. Murchison willmeet the countess, Betty, and we shall take a taxi straight home."
So Betty grasped the fact that her father wasn't "caring for expenses,"as the girls were accustomed to express such recklessness, and modeledher own order after Lucia's. Comfortably filled, she watched her fatherpay the bill and leave what seemed to her an enormous tip for thewaiter. But sakes alive, weren't they dining with a countess?