CHAPTER IV
A GLIMPSE OF SPAIN
SURE enough the faith Nan had in her aunt was not without foundation,for that very evening Miss Helen learned from her friend, Miss Selby,that the next week an acquaintance was going as far as Poitiers, andthat there would probably be no difficulty in arranging to have her actas chaperon to Nan and Mary Lee as far as that city.
"And really," Miss Selby assured Miss Corner, "it will be perfectlysafe to allow them to go on alone as far as Biarritz, for it is nota long journey, and their friend will meet them. They can both speakFrench fluently enough to get along perfectly, and I have several safeaddresses which I can give them in case their train should be delayed,or in case their friend fails to arrive on time. I have an acquaintanceat Bordeaux and another at Biarritz, so in case of delay all they willhave to do will be to take a cab to either address. I will give themnotes of introduction so they will have no trouble whatever."
Miss Helen was enough of a traveler herself to feel that this would besufficient precaution, but Mrs. Corner demurred, and at first couldnot be persuaded to give her consent to the girls traveling any of thedistance alone, but at last she yielded and wrote to Mr. Pinckney thathe might expect her two elder daughters to arrive at Biarritz on acertain day, and the two set off in high spirits.
"It's such fun to go bobbing along the streets of Paris in a cab,"said Nan, "to take your luggage along with you and not to have tobother about street-cars or anything. I wish we had such nice cheap cabservice at home, don't you, Aunt Helen?"
"That is one of the advantages upon which I am afraid I do set a highervalue than my friends at home would have me. There are several thingson this side the water which I claim are advances upon our system athome, and because I say so my friends often think I am unpatriotic.But never mind. There is the Gare d'Orsay where we are to find MissCameron. Look out for your pocketbook, Nan, and be sure not to loseyour ticket."
Miss Cameron was found promptly and in a few minutes the girls wereestablished in their train. They were glad to be able to whispertogether for Miss Cameron had a friend who was going as far as Orleans,and who shared the compartment with them, therefore, Mary Lee and Nanwere not called upon to take part in the conversation.
It was still light when they reached the pretty town of Poitiers which,set upon a hill, looked picturesque and interesting as the travelersleft the train and were borne up a steep incline to their hotel.
"It is a perfectly dear place," decided Nan enthusiastically. "We mustget some post-cards, Mary Lee, and send them off to mother and the restof the family."
"We mustn't forget poor old Jo," said Mary Lee. "I know she is missingus this blessed minute."
"Who is Jo?" asked Miss Cameron.
"One of our school friends who came over with us. She won the prizeof a trip to Europe and has been with us right along." Nan gave theinformation. "Tell us something about Poitiers, Miss Cameron."
There was nothing Miss Cameron would like better to do. She was ateacher who was spending her vacation abroad and was enjoying ithugely. She was neither young nor beautiful, but had a way with her,Nan confided to Mary Lee, and both girls liked her. "I should like togo to her school," Nan said to her sister.
"So should I," Mary Lee whispered in return. So they asked many thingsabout the school which was in Washington, and by the time they hadlearned all they wanted to know, the top of the hill was reached andthey turned into a winding street which led to the quiet hotel wherethey were to stay over night.
"When we have had dinner," said Miss Cameron, "we can go to the Parc deBlossac where we shall see the people and hear the band. I'd like youto see something of the town before we leave to-morrow. There are twoor three nice old churches and the little baptistry of St. Jean is saidto be the oldest Christian edifice still existing in France."
"I am sure I shall like to see that," declared Nan, who loved thingsold and romantic. "I like the looks of this place, anyhow," she wenton. "It is perched so high and has an interesting air as if it hadlooked out of its windows and had seen things. Then the people arenice, wholesome appearing men and women, quite different from those yousee in Paris. Their faces are more earnest and good, somehow."
Miss Cameron looked pleased. "You are quite a critical observer, Nan,"she said. "I quite agree with you, for I haven't a doubt but that yourimpressions are correct. But here we are. We will not make toilettes,but will only brush off the dust and have our dinners."
The dining-room was airy and pleasant, and the dinner good; after itwas over there was still daylight enough for them to find the wayeasily to the Parc de Blossac. They discovered this to be a pretty,restful spot, as they hoped it would be, and the hour they spent thereadded to their pleasant impression of the little city.
They were up betimes the next morning for they wanted to make the mostof the few hours they should have. To the consternation of all threeit was ascertained that Miss Cameron, who was going in a differentdirection, would be obliged to take an earlier train than the girlswould.
"I am so sorry," she said. "I was sure there would be a train southbefore so late in the day, but as my friends, who are to meet me, willhave to drive some distance, I don't see very well how I can fail tokeep my promise of arriving on time."
"We shall do very well," Nan assured her. "We will ask veryparticularly before we get on the train if it is the one for Biarritz,and there will not be a bit of trouble, I am sure. We have very littleluggage, you know."
"And I am sure I can see that it gets on all right," said Mary Lee.
"I am so sorry," repeated Miss Cameron looking quite worried. "Itnever seemed within the bounds of possibility that there should be notrain before that hour. If my friends were near telegraph offices andsuch things I could wire them, but a French _chateau_ near only to asmall village is too unget-at-able for words."
The girls continued to protest that they would have no difficultyat all, and finally Miss Cameron yielded to their protests that shemust leave them to take care of themselves, and at last waved them afarewell from her car window. "Be sure you send me a card that I mayknow you have arrived safely," were her last words, and they promised.
But it must be confessed that when they faced each other, two strangersfar from home and mother, they felt a little sinking at heart.
"Do you think we need sit here in this station for a mortal hour and ahalf?" asked Mary Lee. "Couldn't we walk about a little?"
"I suppose so," Nan responded a little doubtfully, "but we must be sureto come back in time. We've seen the cathedral and the baptistry. Wehave seen the outside of St. Hilaire-le Grand, and the inside of St.Radegunde and Notre-Dame la-Grande. We have been to the Parc de Blossacand up and down a number of the streets. I wonder what else there is tosee that we could do in an hour."
"It is an awful walk up that hill and it is warm."
"I should say it was in a noonday sun. We might go a little way veryslowly. I have been longing to go up on that nice craggy place and lookdown. When we get back we will buy some post-cards and send them off;that will pass away the time."
They mounted the steep hill for a short distance, stood for a whilelooking up and looking down, then returned to the station and startedtoward the little stand where they had seen some post-cards. As Nanopened the small bag she carried, she gave an exclamation of dismay."Mary Lee," she cried, "have you my pocketbook?"
"No," was the answer.
"It's gone." Nan looked hurriedly through her larger bag which heldtheir toilet articles, Mary Lee watching her anxiously. "It's gone,"she repeated, "clean gone, and there is no time to go back and look forit."
"Do you think you could have left it at the hotel?" Mary Lee asked. "Wecould write and get them to send it if it is found."
"No, I am sure it is not there. I had it when we stopped to buy thechocolate. I paid for that, you know. After we left that shop Iremember that the catch of my little wrist bag came unfastened; itcaught in something. I shut it up without looking, but the pocketbookmus
t have fallen out then, for it was right on top. Of course some onepicked it up and there is no use hunting for it; we haven't time. Thankfortune! the tickets are safe, and the bulletin, or whatever they callit, for the baggage."
"Had you much money in it?"
"About twenty-five francs and some loose change. Mother said I'd betternot carry more. I have a check which I am to get Mr. Pinckney to havecashed for us, and if we need more it is to be sent, though motherthought the amount of the check would be ample. How much have you, MaryLee?"
Mary Lee opened her purse and counted. "About ten francs and a fewcentimes."
"That ought to take us through, if we don't have any delays oraccidents," said Nan, though she looked a little worried. "Fortunatelywe have paid our hotel bill here, and we have those notes ofintroduction that Miss Selby gave us. I have no doubt but that at oneof those places they would cash our check even if Mr. Pinckney shouldfail to meet us, so it isn't quite as bad as it might be." She spokereassuringly, though she was in some doubt about the matter. "I am gladwe have that chocolate," she went on. "We won't get the post-cards,for we have already sent one to mother from the hotel. When we get toBordeaux, instead of having a hearty meal, we can get some rolls orsomething and save the money in case of an emergency."
Mary Lee said nothing, though she felt that Nan had been careless.It was very like her not to look in her bag to see if all were safeafter it became unfastened. She was always so absorbed in what wasgoing on around her, and had not the exact and precise ways of heryounger sister. Mary Lee would never have budged till she was certainthat every article she carried was in place. Nan was grateful for hersister's silence, for Mary Lee was not given to holding her tongue onsuch occasions.
"I think that must be our train," remarked the latter. "I am sure oneis coming." She looked sharply to see that the umbrellas and bags werenot left, and followed the trunks till she saw them safely on thetrain, then she climbed into place by Nan's side, breathing a sigh ofrelief.
The two girls were silent for some time after the train began to move.They felt rather depressed. All sorts of possibilities loomed up beforethem. Presently Nan said, "I wonder if we have to change cars. I sawthat this train was marked Bordeaux, but I didn't see any Biarritz onit."
"We'd better ask at the next stop. You do it, Nan; you are so much moreglib with your French than I am."
Nan made her inquiry in due course of time and found that the changemust be made. "But it is in the same station," she told Mary Lee, "andour baggage is booked through, so there will be no trouble, the guardsays."
"I hope it won't be dark when we get to Biarritz," said Mary Lee aftera while.
"I am afraid it will be, but I am sure Mr. St. Nick will be on hand.You know Miss Cameron telegraphed to him as soon as we knew what trainwe should take. I had no idea that the train would take so many hours,though, and neither did she. However, he will be there all right."
But in spite of her show of confidence, the elder girl did have hermisgivings, and the two were rather quiet as the daylight faded. Theyate their chocolate and rolls pensively, feeling rather ashamed athaving so frugal a meal till they saw two of their fellow passengers,well-dressed personages, cheerfully supping upon like fare which they,too, had providently carried with them.
"I don't believe it makes a bit of difference about doing such thingsin France, at least," Nan whispered. "You know the French are veryfrugal, and even well-to-do people practice economies we would neverthink of."
It was dark indeed when they left their train at Biarritz and MaryLee kept very close to her tall sister as they stood waiting on theplatform. "Suppose he isn't here," she said tremulously.
"Then we will take a cab to that address Miss Selby gave us," said Nanbravely, though feeling a sinking of heart as she thought of doing eventhat.
But at that moment a portly form approached and a hearty voice calledout, "There you are, you poor little chicks. I _am_ glad to see you."
"You aren't half as glad to see us as we are to see you," returned MaryLee fervently.
"Your train was an hour late," Mr. Pinckney told them; "but what canyou expect in this country?" he added.
"Oh, they are never late in ours, are they?" laughed Nan. "It is goodto see you, Mr. St. Nick. When I beheld your dear big round self comingtoward us I could have shouted with joy, for we were feeling a littlebit scared."
"Tut, tut, how was that? You don't mean to say you came from Parisalone?"
"Oh, no, mother would never have allowed that, and she would never haveallowed us to venture anyhow, if she had known how things really didturn out." She gave him an account of their journey ending with thetale of her lost pocketbook. "And so, you see," she said, "we were alittle bit afraid we might not have enough to get through on, and wehated to go to a strange _pension_ and not have enough money to pay ourway."
"Too bad, too bad," said Mr. Pinckney. "I ought to have come all theway to get you."
"But that wasn't necessary," Nan told him, "and it is all over now.It was only a scare and not a real danger, you see, for we had a mostquiet and uneventful journey from Poitiers. An infant in arms couldhave taken it with perfect propriety."
"Especially if it had been in arms," put in Mary Lee.
"That sounds just like Miss Propriety, Prunes and Prisms," said Mr.Pinckney. "Well, my dears, your rooms are all ready, and you havenothing more to bother about from this time on."
"And is Miss Dolores with you?" asked Mary Lee.
"Left her at San Sebastian. It is nothing of a run there, you know. Youwill see her to-morrow."
After this there was no more trouble, and the girls gave themselves upto listening to the plans made for their pleasure. They were too tiredto lie awake long, but they awoke in the morning full of enthusiasm,ready to enjoy the dainty breakfast prepared for them and served inloveliest of gardens. Mr. Pinckney would not hurry them away beforethey had seen the beautiful coast of the famous watering-place, andinsisted upon their having a little drive around before their trainshould leave.
"And this is where the young King of Spain used to come to see thequeen when she was Princess Ena," Nan told Mary Lee.
"I wish they were here now," returned Mary Lee.
"You may have a chance to see them before you leave Spain," Mr.Pinckney told her, "for they travel about a good deal."
"Before we leave Spain! Doesn't that sound fascinating?" cried Mary Lee.
"What! You think it will be fascinating to leave us?" said Mr. Pinckneyin pretended surprise.
"Oh, dear, it did sound so. No, indeed. I never want to be long awayfrom you and dear Miss Dolores, Mr. St. Nick," Mary Lee hastened to say.
"That sounds more like it," he answered.
"Are we going to stay right in San Sebastian?" asked Nan.
"For only a few days, then we are going further up the coast. Oh, youwill like it, you two. It is real typical Spanish life that you willsee and such scenery! Well, of course, we are not backward in boastingof our own scenery, but we can't match these Spaniards. They are themost frankly self-appreciative people I ever saw. Talk about Americanself-esteem, it is nowhere. You'd think there was never a mountain, ariver, a valley, a field, a church or a house, a man, woman, or evena donkey that quite came up to those on Spanish soil. It is amusing,generally speaking, and I suppose it is what they mean by Spanishpride, but I get a trifle tired sometimes of the everlasting bombast,and have to do a little boasting on my own account that they mayunderstand they have a few half-way decent things on the other sideof the water. I like them, too. Hospitable, just like you Virginians.Kind-hearted, courteous--again like you people from the Old Dominion.All Dolores' kith and kin are prepared to take you in and give you asgood a time as can be had. There is nothing they won't do for you, anddo it gladly."
It was when they had arrived at San Sebastian that they first realizedthat they were really in Spain. "See that dear donkey with panniers athis sides," said Mary Lee.
"And that queer ox-cart," continued Nan; "no, it
is cow-carts they havein Spain. Don't they look like pictures of the old Roman carts?"
"They are practically the same," Mr. Pinckney told her. "You will findthat Spain retains many ancient methods and customs."
"And there is a woman wearing a mantilla, the first we have seen," Nanwent on. "Now, I know we are in Spain. What a beautiful blue, blue sea,and how gay it looks on the Esplanade, do they call it? Oh, Mr. St.Nick, it is a beautiful place. I am glad we are to be here for a fewdays."
Miss Dolores came running to meet them, and bore them away to theirroom next to hers in the pleasant hotel where they were to stop. Andthen began the happiest of times, for if they were not driving aroundthe pretty town, they were walking on the Esplanade watching the crowdsof people from everywhere, or they sat on the piazza and saw thegaily dressed guests come and go. So passed the rest of the week, andthen they left this favorite Spanish watering-place to go to a lesswell-known, but no less interesting spot further along the coast.
There was wonderful scenery to be seen from the car windows the entireway; great mountains towered above them, picturesque villages lay invalleys below. Corn-fields either side the road reminded them of theirown Virginia. "It does me good to look at them," declared Nan. "I'dalmost believe myself near my own home if I didn't see a donkey or acow-cart every little while."
"Do you see that gray building perched away up there?" Mr. Pinckneydirected her attention to a monastery crowning a hill. "That was builtin the tenth century. It is nearly a thousand years old."
"Dear, dear, how very young I feel," laughed Nan.
"It makes me feel very young myself," declared Mr. Pinckney. "I am amere infant compared to this old civilization."
"There's the sea, the sea! and the mountains go almost down to meetit," cried Nan. "This surely is grand scenery; I don't wonder theyboast of it. Now, it is like waltzing with Willy; we go round, around,around. Ah, we are going up again. There is another tunnel ahead. Westop at Bilbao to-night, you said. What is it like?"
"A nice clean little commercial city. Nothing very remarkable to seethere, but it is pleasant and cheerful as well as comfortable, awell-ordered town. You will notice all the Spanish features there;cow-carts and donkeys, women carrying trays of fish or bread on theirheads. Sometimes there will be a pair of wooden shoes on top of thefish and an umbrella on top of the shoes. Everything is carried upthere, it seems, and they walk along quite unconsciously. Our roomslook out on the Arenal, so you will have a chance to see the streetlife of the cities before we go off into the provincial districts."
They reached Bilbao by dark, but from their windows they could lookdown upon the brightly lighted streets, could hear the band play in thelittle park opposite, and could realize that they were really in theland of Don Quixote.
The next afternoon found them arrived in a pretty little villagenestled at the foot of the mountains. The great house into which theywere ushered was called the _palacio_, and was centuries old. A highwall surrounded the garden where flowers blossomed the year round. Thebare floors were of oaken planks hewn by hand. Outside the windows thebalconies bore hanging vines or boxes of pinks, the Spaniard's favoriteflower. In the _patio_ pigeons strutted about, the little house dogrested in the shade of the orange trees, and a thrush sang sweetly fromits cage hung in the doorway.
"It is something like California," whispered Mary Lee to her sister.
"Of course," returned Nan. "California was Spanish not so many yearsago."
It was but a few minutes before a girl a little older than Nan camedown to meet them. "E ahm glahd to zee you," she said smiling andputting out her hand.
Miss Dolores laughed. "Mercedes has been practicing that sentence fordays. It is the only English she knows. This is my cousin, MercedesCabrales," she went on, "and these," she spoke in Spanish, "are myfriends, Nan and Mary Lee Corner. You must all call each other by yourfirst name; we do so in Spain."
Mercedes led the way up the front stairs and took the girls into alofty room, rather scantily furnished but comfortable. There she leftthem with a parting nod and smile.
Nan went to the window. "I see mountains everywhere," she said, "andthe sea is just over that hill, Mr. St. Nick says. That dismal creakis not the hum of a large variety of mosquito, Mary Lee, but it is acow-cart. In these country places they wouldn't do away with the creakfor anything because otherwise how would they know when to wait onthe widest part of a narrow road till the cart coming in the oppositedirection had passed? Isn't it all queer and different from anywhereelse? There are two parrots next door; I hear them, and that mustbe a chapel where the little bell is hanging in the belfry. I lovethese balconies. The big ones are _gallerias_ and the little ones_miradores_. There are lovely gardens behind all those stone walls, andthe roads lead on up, up the mountains. Mr. St. Nick has been tellingme all about it." And then Miss Dolores tapped at the door and they allwent down to meet Dona Teresa and her son Don Antonio.
CHAPTER V
A FIESTA]