CHAPTER XIV Foundation Stones
Some days later a number of guests were entertained informally by MissLord at her house in Versailles. The trip into the French country hadbeen depressing and if Miss Patricia's ideas for future work in Francewere still a little far distant, this was not true with the plans of theCamp Fire girls.
For weeks they had been meeting other groups of girls in the city ofParis and interesting them in their program for establishing a FrenchCamp Fire organization. They had written to the central organization inthe United States asking them to get in touch with the French for amutual exchange of ideas. Moreover, Mrs. Burton had also persuaded awoman of unusual charm and high position to take over the work of theFrench Camp Fire and become its first guardian.
But the group of girls who were invited by Miss Lord to her home atVersailles were the original group of poor French girls who wereMarguerite Arnot's friends.
Miss Patricia also suggested to Yvonne Fleury that she include heracquaintances in the same invitation.
"As a matter of fact, Yvonne," she insisted, "if democracy is to be theorder of the day, I don't see why we should not try to practice it amongthe groups of Camp Fire girls. I've an idea poor girls may be more inneed of just the help the Camp Fire can give than the rich. Also I wouldlike to see a little more democracy practiced in our own household at thepresent time. You girls and Polly Burton must remember that I was once aspoor a girl as one could find in the county of Cork and that is saying agood deal. No one need think I forget it! Now I have no mind to bespoiling any of you by our own fine living for the next few months. Thisis merely my way of celebrating the dawn of peace and perhaps ofrewarding you girls for the sacrifices you made during the war. But ifyour friends, Yvonne, think they are too fine to meet Marguerite Arnot'sfriends and to be members of the same Camp Fire group, then in faith Ishall have nothing to do with them and never want them in my house! Ofcourse you may do as you like, Yvonne. Don't ask them to come here if youthink they will object to meeting Marguerite, her friends or me. Neitherbe a telling of them that Polly Burton is a famous actress and so makingthem wish to come for that reason. A famous actress Polly may be, but sheis often an obstinate and mistaken woman."
Without allowing Yvonne opportunity to reply, which was altogether likeher, Miss Patricia then withdrew.
Nevertheless, Yvonne thought she understood Miss Patricia's point ofview. She also recognized the difficulty which lay behind it.
Originally there had been a mild argument between Mrs. Burton and MissPatricia on the question of introducing Marguerite Arnot into their CampFire family at Versailles. Mrs. Burton was not stupid enough to findfault with Marguerite's occupation; she had always insisted that she hadmade her own living by acting from the time she was a young girl, andthat therefore persons who felt a sense of superiority to other workingwomen, must also feel superior to her. But she did consider that MissPatricia had not sufficient knowledge of Marguerite Arnot's character, orof her previous associations to have so soon invited her into theirhousehold. She should have waited until she learned to know her moreintimately. There was a possibility that Marguerite herself might not behappy with them under the conditions Miss Patricia had arranged. Herpresence might in some way affect the complete happiness of the Camp Firegirls.
But Miss Patricia had prevailed, and Yvonne was fairly well able to guesswhat she must have said to her adored but often thwarted friend.
"You yourself, Polly Burton, invited Yvonne Fleury into our Camp Firefamily when you met on shipboard and knew nothing but what she chose totell you of herself. You likewise extended the same invitation to MaryGilchrist. I made no objection. Please remember that Marguerite Arnot isnow my choice."
And of course, since the house at Versailles was Miss Patricia's andsince Mrs. Burton's objection had not been a serious one, Miss Patriciahad had her way.
Up to the present time, Mrs. Burton would have been the first person toacknowledge that she had found no criticism in Marguerite Arnot'sbehavior. Never had she showed the slightest effort to take advantage ofMiss Patricia's kindness. Moreover, Mrs. Burton, and each one of the CampFire girls, had personal reasons for being grateful to her. She had madeseveral of the girls prettier clothes in the last few weeks than they hadever possessed in their lives.
And she always seemed to make a special effort in her work for Mrs.Burton.
So Yvonne went away to her room where she wrote notes asking her fourgirl friends, who formed the nucleus of another French Camp Fire unit, toluncheon on the following Saturday. She had sufficient faith to believethey would not feel as Miss Patricia had intimated and her faith wasjustified.
Mrs. Burton had invited as her guest, Madame Clermont, who had promisedto take charge of the Camp Fire organization in France. Madame Clermontwas in reality an American woman, but she had lived long in France andboth looked and talked like a French woman, so that it was difficult notto think of her as one. As a matter of fact she had studied music inParis for fifteen years and sung at the Opera Comique before marrying aFrenchman.
She and Mrs. Burton had known each other slightly for some time, buttheir acquaintance had developed into a friendship in the interest of thenew Camp Fire movement for French as well as for American girls.
In the original plan for Miss Lord's luncheon party, there had been noidea of including any masculine guests. As a matter of fact in a somewhatskilful fashion they invited themselves. But since Miss Patricia did notrefuse to allow them to be present, she must really have desired theirsociety.
After meeting Sally Ashton so unexpectedly in the streets of Paris, DanWebster had returned home with them for the evening, but later hadreceived official permission to spend several weeks with his sister,Peggy Webster, and his aunt, Mrs. Burton, in the interval before goinghome to the United States.
Dan was ill from starvation and from his long confinement in a Germanprison. Mrs. Burton therefore thought it best that he secure a room intheir immediate neighborhood and have his meals with them.
This arrangement did not please Miss Patricia, who appreciated theembarrassment of including one young man in a family of girls. However,as Dan was Mrs. Burton's nephew and assuredly needed care, she had madeno protest.
Later, as usual Miss Patricia had devoted herself to spoiling Dan rathermore than any one else.
On the day of her luncheon it was Dan who pleaded that Aunt Patriciaallow him to appear. Otherwise he was sure he must suffer with hungerthrough a long winter day. No food to be had at any restaurant couldcompare with Miss Patricia's. As Miss Patricia agreed with him in thisand her own housekeeping was one of her vanities, Dan had been theentering masculine wedge into the luncheon party.
The fact that Dan Webster must not be the only man present, had beenLieutenant Fleury's plea. Besides, he and Miss Patricia were such oldfriends, after his visit to her at her farmhouse on the Aisne, thatLieutenant Fleury had protested he could not endure to be cut off fromMiss Patricia's society for a single day.
Hearing of Dan's and Lieutenant Fleury's good fortune, David Hale hadsimply looked at Miss Patricia with such unuttered reproach, that shereally did weaken to the extent of inviting him.
"Young man, I presume you think one more guest cannot make any differencewhen I have already asked twice as many people as my house canaccommodate. You are mistaken. Nevertheless, come along to lunch if youlike. No one will have enough to eat, but I would have you on myconscience if you should feel hurt at being left out. Not that you wouldhave the faintest right to be hurt, David Hale. You are absolutelynothing to any of us except a new acquaintance."
After arguing that he was really a great deal more to her than a mereacquaintance, but that Miss Patricia was so far unwilling to acknowledgeit, David Hale appeared at the hour of the luncheon with as muchcheerfulness as if he had been the most sought after of all the guests.
Following a buffet luncheon, at which the three young men had provedthemselves extremely usef
ul in helping to serve the guests, who could notbe seated at the table, they were invited to go away until after ameeting of the Camp Fire.
At the present moment it was four o'clock in the afternoon and the CampFire ceremony had ended.
The girls were talking together in small groups, Miss Patricia was not inthe room, Mrs. Burton and Madame Clermont were arranging for anengagement for the theatre in Paris.
"I wonder if you would mind singing for us?" Mrs. Burton asked. "Pleasedon't if it would trouble you. But I've an idea no one of the girls herehas ever heard so beautiful a voice as yours!"
Madame Clermont smiled.
"Of course I shall love to sing. As a matter of fact I have been woundedthat you have not asked me before. So it does not require one half thatIrish flattery of yours to persuade me! Have you any of your Camp Firemusic here with you?"
The next half hour the Camp Fire girls listened for the first time intheir lives to the Camp Fire music sung by a great artist.
In the meantime Miss Patricia wandered back into her drawing room,bringing with her the three young men whom she had found in hiding in herlittle private sitting room on the second floor of the house.
Later Miss Patricia asked for the final song. Madame Clermont had justannounced that she could sing but one more song.
"Then do sing something more adapted to your voice. This Camp Fire musicis fanciful and pretty, but it is intended for young girls and not foryou," Miss Patricia commented with her usual directness.
"Hasn't some one written a song of peace? We have heard enough of theHymn of Hate for the past four years?"
Madame Clermont, who evidently understood and was amused by MissPatricia's plain speaking turned at once to answer.
"No, Miss Patricia, I have not yet learned a new hymn of peace. We mustwait until peace actually arrives before the great song of it can bewritten. But I would like you to give me your opinion of a song I havejust set to music. The verses I found in a New York newspaper and thinkvery wonderful. They tell the story of the visit of a King to France inthe old days and then of the coming of our President. I hope you may atleast admire the poem as much as I do, even though I may have failed withthe music."
Madame Clermont's voice was a mezzo soprano with a true dramatic quality.Into her present song she put the emotion which France and America hadbeen sharing in the past few weeks.
The Old Regime
The banners breast the boulevard, The crowds stretch gray and dim; The royal guest nods lightly toward The folk that cheer for him.
The King sets out his troops to show The envoy speaks him fair; His eye, it never wavers from From the soldiers marching there.
Oh, its gold lace and blue lace And troops in brave array; And it's your heart and my heart Must bleed for it some day.
The Hostess-Queen is fair tonight, Her pearls burn great and dim; The visitor bows low upon The hand she proffers him.
The King's old crafty counselors Sit at the banquet late, Their secret compact safely signed And sealed with seals of State.
Oh, it is one year or two years, Or twenty years or ten, Till in the murk of No Man's Land We'll pay--we common men.
The New Day
The folks outsurge the boulevard; Without a crown or sword, A plain man greets the crowds today-- They wait a plain man's word.
The hoarse and harrowed peoples wait; For they and theirs--the dead-- Have all the savings of their hope With dim deposited.
A democrat, a democrat Rides with the Kings today: And can it be the people's turn, And must the rulers pay?
Having finished Madame Clermont came and stood before Miss Patricia.
"I hope my song was not too long and that I have not bored you. Thank youfor my charming afternoon. I hope I may come to see you at some othertime."
Although intending no ungraciousness, Miss Patricia did not reply,instead allowing Mrs. Burton to answer for her. And this was because onone of the few occasions in her life she was permitting herself theenjoyment of a few, hardly wrung tears. Madame Clermont's song hadstirred Miss Patricia's gallant spirit, with its warm sympathy and loveof justice.