CHAPTER XII
SHOPPING
The afternoon was devoted to the gardens and the Trianons.
Elise was enraptured with the garden, but Patty, while she admired themvery much, thought them too stiff and formal for her taste. Laid out,as they are, according to the laws of geometrical symmetry, it seemedto Patty that grace and beauty were sacrificed to squares and straightlines.
But none the less was she interested in the wonderful landscape, andamazed that any grass could be so green as that of the marvelous greencarpet. The multitude of statues and fountains, the walks and terraces,and the exquisite colours of the autumn trees, made a picture thatPatty never forgot.
The Trianons presented new delights, and Patty fancied herselftransported back to the days of Marie Antoinette and her elaboratelyplanned pleasures.
A place of especial interest was the carriage house, where areexhibited the Royal State carriages.
As they were about to enter, Phil Marchbanks, who was ahead, turnedround with a look of comical dismay on his face.
"We can't go in," he said; "we can't fulfil their requirements!"
"What do you mean?" said Patty.
"Why here's a sign that says 'wet umbrellas must be left in the cloakroom.' You see, it's imperative,--and as we have no wet umbrellas toleave in the cloak room, whatever shall we do?"
"Isn't it awful!" said Patty. "Of course, we can't go in if we don'tfulfil their laws. But it's a foolish law, and better broken than kept,so I propose we march on in spite of it."
So they marched on and spent one of their pleasantest half hoursadmiring the royal coaches.
The Coronation Carriage of Charles the X. pleased Patty most,especially as it had been restored by Napoleon and bore the magicinitial N. on its regalia.
Mr. Farrington slyly volunteered the information that it stood forNapoleon the Third, but Patty declared that she didn't care, as anyNapoleon was good enough for her.
SHOPPING
Then the various sights of the Trianons claimed their attention, andthey visited the farm and the dairy, and the Temple of Love, and theSwiss Cottage, and the Presbytery, and the Music Pavilion, and theMill, until they were all mixed up, and Patty declared that her mindwas nothing but a kaleidoscope full of broken bits of gay scenes.
Then the party went to the Grotto of Apollo, and sat down there for ashort time to rest before returning home.
"This is the first time," said Patty, "that it has seemed like apicnic, but this is a real picnic place,--though a much more grand onethan I ever picnicked in before."
"You can probably make up your mind," said Bert, "that it's about thegrandest picnic place there is; and speaking of picnics, I'd like toinvite all this party to dine with me on our way home."
"Where is your dining-room?" asked Mrs. Farrington.
"I'll show you," said Bert eagerly, "if you'll only go with me. Itisn't quite time to start yet, but it soon will be, and I'll take youto an awfully jolly place and not a bit out of our way, either."
Mrs. Farrington agreed to go, and the rest eagerly accepted theinvitation, and after resting a little longer, the party leisurelyprepared to start.
At Bert's direction they spun along the Bois de Boulogne until theyreached the Pavilion d'Armenonville, one of those fairyland out-of-doorrestaurants which abound in and near Paris.
As it was rather chilly to sit outside, they occupied a table in aglass-protected court, and Bert proved himself a most satisfactory host.
"We've had an awfully jolly day," he observed, "at least I have, and Ihope the rest of you put in a good time. It's a satisfaction to feelthat we've done up Versailles, but I may as well confess that I didn'tgo for that purpose so much as to spend a pleasant day with my friends."
Patty declared that she had enjoyed the society, not only of thefriends who went with her, but the companionship of the invisible ones,whose presence seemed to haunt every nook and cranny of the palace andpark.
As Patty looked about at their gaily decorated dining place, and lookedout at the brilliantly lighted scene outside, where the vari-colouredelectric lights hung in shining festoons, she came to the conclusionthat Paris was a gay and bright place after all, though when she hadentered it that first night, less than a week ago, she had thought itrather dark and oppressive.
"It is dark," said Phil, as Patty expressed her thoughts; "to be sure,a place like this is illuminated, but the streets are not half lighted,and I think it's a shame."
"London streets at night aren't much better as to light," said Bert,"but I say, you fellows, you just ought to see the streets in New Yorkat night. Whew! they're so bright they just dazzle you, don't they,Patty?"
"Broadway does, but the other streets aren't so awfully light."
"Well, they're a lot lighter than they are over here. But Paris is theworst of all. Why, I'm scared to be out after nightfall."
"If that's the case," said Mrs. Farrington, laughing, "we'd better bestarting now; and at any rate, it's high time my young charges were athome. I hadn't expected Patty and Elise to indulge in quite suchgrown-up gaieties as dining out here, but I hadn't the heart to refusefor them your kind invitation."
Bert expressed his gratitude that Mrs. Farrington had made an exceptionin his favour, and then the whole party started homeward.
When she reached there, Patty was so tired she could scarcely talk overthe pleasures of the day with Elise, and she tumbled into bed withoutso much as a look at her beloved Vendome Column.
But the next day found the two girls entirely rested and quite readyfor more jaunting about.
But Mrs. Farrington declared that she could do no sightseeing that day,as the somewhat fatiguing trip to Versailles made her quite contentedto rest quietly for a time.
So Patty employed her morning happily enough in writing letters homeand in arranging her post-card album.
"I'm so glad," she said to Elise, "that Clementine gave me this greatbig album, for I see already it is none too large. I've taken out allthe New York views and laid them aside. I shall probably give them tosomebody, as there is no sense in carrying them home again. And I'mfilling the book with Paris views. Isn't it fortunate they inventedpost-cards, for unmounted photographs do curl up so, and I hate thoselittle books of views."
"Indeed, it's fine, Patty, and you're arranging them beautifully. Ican't do that sort of thing at all; I'm as clumsy at it as ahippopotamus. But I'd love to have a book like yours to take home."
"I'll give you this one," said Patty quickly, and she truly meant it,for she was generous by nature, and, too, she was glad to give Elisesomething that she really wanted.
"I wouldn't take it! you needn't think I'm a pig if I AM ahippopotamus!"
"Well, I'll tell you what I will do, Elise. The first time we goshopping we'll get a big album exactly like this, and then we'll alwaysget duplicate post-cards,--we have so far, anyway,--and I'll fix boththe books."
"Oh, Patty, that will be lovely! you do it so neatly and daintily; andI always tear the corners and smudge the cards and every old thing. Iwish we could go and buy the book this very afternoon."
"We can't; your mother won't go; she's too tired, and she'd never letus bob about Paris alone. And your father hates to shop, so he wouldn'ttake us."
"I know it, Patty, but perhaps mother would let us go with Lisette.Anyhow, I'm going to ask her."
"Why, yes," said Mrs. Farrington, when the project was laid before her;"I see no reason why you shouldn't go out and do a little shopping incharge of Lisette. She is a native French girl herself, she knows Paristhoroughly, and she's most reliable and trustworthy. But you mustpromise to do only what she allows you to do, and go only where sheadvises. In this expedition she must direct, not you."
The girls willingly promised, saying that they only wanted to buy thealbum and a few little things.
"Very well, then," said Mrs. Farrington; "you may go out for theafternoon. I'm glad to have you out in the sunshine, and you'll alsoenjoy looking at the pretty things in t
he shops."
So the girls arrayed themselves in their quiet pretty street costumes,and with Lisette in her tidy black gown, they started out.
They walked at first along the Rue de Rivoli, fascinated with thelovely trinkets in the shop windows. Unlike Mr. Farrington, Lisette didnot care how long her young charges tarried, nor was she averse tolooking at the pretty things herself.
"It's a funny thing," said Elise, as they came out of a shop, "that thethings in a window are always so much prettier than the things insidethe shop."
"That's Paris all over," said Patty; "I think the French not only putthe best foot forward, but the foot they hold back is usually not verypresentable."
"Yes, I believe that's true; and they always seem to make the best ofeverything, and that's why they're so happy and light-hearted. But herewe are at a stationer's. Let's buy the album here."
The stationer's proved to be a most distracting place. They bought thealbum, and then they discovered a counter piled with post-cards, inwhich they were soon deeply absorbed.
"But you mustn't get so many, Elise," cried Patty, as she looked at thegreat pile Elise had laid aside to buy. "It's no fun at all to get themall at once and fill the book. Then it's all over. The fun is incollecting them slowly, a few at a time."
"But I want all these, Patty, so why not take them now?"
"No, you don't, either. Now look here, Elise, I'm making your book foryou, so you take my advice in this matter, and you'll afterward admitthat I'm right."
"You're always right, Patty," said Elise, smiling lovingly at herfriend; "that's the worst of you! But I'll do as you say this time,only don't let it occur again."
Patty laughed and allowed Elise to select cards illustrating the placesshe had already seen, persuading her to leave the others until somefuture time.
Then they looked round the shop further, and discovered many attractivelittle souvenirs to take to friends at home.
"I think," said Patty, "I'll just buy some of these things right now.For surely I could never find anything for Frank and Uncle Charliebetter than these queer little desk things. Aren't they unusual, Elise?Are they rococo?"
"Patty," said Elise, in a stage whisper, "I hate to own up to it, butreally, I never did know what rococo meant! Isn't it something likecloisonne, or is it ormolu?"
Patty laughed. "To be honest, Elise, I don't exactly know myself, but Idon't think you've struck it very closely. However, I'm going to buythis inkstand; I don't care if it's made of gingerbread!"
"And here's a bronze Napoleon; didn't Marian want that?"
"Oh, yes, indeed she did! I'm so glad you discovered him. Isn't he adear little man? Just about three inches high; I believe the realemperor wasn't much more than that. Isn't he on a funny little flatpedestal?"
"It's a seal," explained the shopkeeper kindly.
"A seal!" echoed Patty blankly; "why no it isn't! a seal, indeed! whyit isn't a bit like a seal; you might just as well call it a TeddyBear! It's a man!"
Elise was giggling. "He doesn't mean that kind of a seal, Patty," shesaid; "he means a seal to seal wax with."
"Oh," said Patty, giggling, too; "why, so much the better. I beg yourpardon, I'm sure, and I'm glad it's a seal. I can have Marian'smonogram cut on it, and she can seal her letters by just lettingNapoleon jump on them."
She left the order for the monogram, and the affable shopkeeperpromised to send the finished seal home the next day. He seemed greatlyinterested in his two young customers, and had it not been forLisette's sharp eye he would have urged them to buy even more of hiswares.
But the canny young French girl had no notion of letting her charges beimposed upon, and she glared haughtily at the shopkeeper when he seemedtoo officious.
As they were about to leave the shop, some young people entered, and tothe surprise of all, they proved to be the Van Ness girls and theircousins.
The four young people were out by themselves, and though quite capableof finding their way about alone, Lisette's French notions were atrifle shocked at the unchaperoned crowd.
But Patty and Elise were so glad to see their friends again that theygave little thought to conventions, and fell to chattering with alltheir might.
"Why haven't you been to see us?" asked Alicia; "you had our address."
"I know," said Elise, "but we've been so busy ever since we've beenhere that there hasn't seemed to be time for anything. But we're gladto see you now, and isn't it jolly that we chanced to meet here?"
"Yes, indeed, because we're going on to-morrow,--on our travels, Imean, and we wouldn't have had a chance to see you again. But now thatwe have met, let's put in a jolly afternoon together. Where are yougoing?"
"Nowhere in particular; we're just walking around Paris."
"That's exactly our destination; so let's go nowhere in particulartogether."