CHAPTER XIII
Peachy's Pranks
"I'm sorry to have to announce it," said Peachy, "but my spirits arefizzing over, and I guess if I don't go just the teeniest weeniest biton the rampage I'll fly all to pieces and make a scene. Sometimes I'mtingling down to my toes and I've just _got_ to explode. Being good is alonesome job."
Peachy was sitting with Irene and Delia on one of the marble seats atthe bottom of the lemon pergola. It was a favorite spot with the girls,for it was sheltered from the prevailing wind and the flowers grewparticularly luxuriantly. Lovely irises were blooming, white narcissus,wallflowers, and beds of Parma violets, and the beautiful delicateblossom of the arbutula drooped from an archway that spanned the path.Irene, who was used by this time to Peachy's whimsical moods, laid asidethe book she was reading and laughed.
"Poor old sport! You've evidently got it badly to-day. What can we dofor you? How, where, and when do you want to rampage?"
Peachy shook her head dolefully.
"I don't know. Only wish I did. I'm tired of doing the same things overand over again every day. Getting up in the morning and dressing myself,having breakfast, going to classes, having dinner, grinding at prep,playing tennis, having tea and supper, and undressing and going to bed.I want to sleep in my clothes or go to class in my wrapper just for achange, and I'd like tennis in the morning and tea instead of dinner.I'm tired of the house and the garden. I want to dodge Antonio and gothrough the big gate and run down the road. I tell you I want to doabsolutely anything that's weird and impossible and out of the ordinary.Yes, I know I'm wrought up. I'm just crazy for a real frolic. Who'llplay 'Follow my Leader'?"
"If you won't do anything _too_ outrageous," ventured Delia, replacing adainty piece of sewing inside her workbag, and preparing to fall in withher friend's mood. "I've had one little difference with Miss Bickfordthis week, and if I have another Miss Rodgers may cut up rough and stopmy next exeat."
"Honest Injun, I'll take all the blame if blame there is. Renie, dearie,you're coming too?"
"Got to, I suppose," chuckled Irene. "When the Queen of the South arisesand gives her orders her slaves must 'tremble and obey.'"
"Not much trembling about you. Come on and be sports, both of you. Areyou ready? Do as your Granny tells you then, and off we go."
The game of "Follow my Leader," as every schoolgirl knows, consists inexactly imitating everything which is done by your chief, no matter whatextraordinary and peculiar antics she may perform. To submit to Peachy'sguidance in the present exalted state of her spirits was a decided leapin the dark, but Irene and Delia were ready for fun, and prepared totake a few risks. At first their light-hearted companion contentedherself with running in and out among the lemon trees, walking along thelow wall of the terrace, jumping the culvert, or easy physical feats,then, having slightly worked off steam, she stood for a moment andpaused to reflect.
"Christopher Columbus! I guess I know what I'll do. I've an exploringfit on me, and if I can't find America I'll find something else new andundiscovered. Here goes."
Peachy, with her satellites in her train, plunged her way across thegarden in the direction of the kitchen. She had suddenly remembered anobject which had more than once set her curiosity a-galloping. In theyard outside the scullery there was an iron staircase intended for useas a fire-escape from the servants' bedrooms, and also as a means ofmounting the roof when workmen wished to attend to the chimney-pots. Uphere she was determined to go. Fortunately the maids were safely insidethe kitchen, and the defenses were left unguarded.
"This is my Jacob's ladder," she proclaimed. "Who'll follow me to thesky?"
"'Will you walk into my parlor?' said the spider to the fly, ''Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy! The way into my parlor is up a winding stair, And I have many curious things to show you when you're there.'"
"Go on, you lunatic," giggled Irene.
"And be quick about it if you don't want Dominica clattering at yourheels," added Delia.
So they clambered up the steep iron stairway, and, passing by the doorthat led to the servants' apartments, they climbed on till they reachedthe roof. This part of the Villa Camellia was _terra incognita_ to theschool. They decided hastily, however, that it would be a very desirableacquisition. It was a large flat expanse covered with lead, and edgedwith a low battlement. It was evidently used by the maids, for aclothes-line was stretched between two chimneys, and a row of towelshung out to dry. The view was adorable. It was like being on the top ofa mountain. They could see the town of Fossato, and a wide expanse ofwater, and Vesuvius, and the distant outline of Naples all spread in apanorama before them, besides having an excellent bird's-eye prospect ofthe garden below. Peachy, who was ready to do anything wild, wentdancing about like a will-o'-the-wisp.
"Light and airy--light and airy, Sure, I feel a sort of fairy,"
she extemporized. "Renie Beverley, you're not mad enough! Give me yourhand. I tell you you've got to dance. We're witches who've flown over onour broomsticks and alighted here, and we'll have a frolic before we goback to--wherever we came from. Hello, what's this business? It lookslike a water-tank. Give me a boost, somebody, for I'm going up to see."
It was rather a scramble even for Peachy's agile limbs, but she wasresolved thoroughly to explore the capacities of the roof, and thecistern must not be left unvisited. She clung on to its slippery sideand peered down at her own reflection in the water below.
"No idea I looked so nice," she perked. "The blue sky makes a charmingbackground. Really, a pool is quite a becoming mirror. Does anybody elsewant to come up and peep? It's like looking at the view-finder of acamera. Rather painful hanging on, though. I think I'll drop if you'reneither of you coming. Oh, botheration! I've lost my hair ribbon. It'sgone right down inside the cistern. Well! It's done for now. I can'tpossibly fish it out."
"It wasn't your best!" consoled Delia.
"No, but the only scarlet one I possess, and just at present I've awild fad for scarlet. I get crazes for various colors. Last term I'dlook at nothing but pale blue, till Bertha Ford got that new bluechiffon dress, and that, of course, set me against it forevermore. I'd arage for tartan once, only Jess was rather nasty about it; she thinks noone in the school has a right to wear Scotch plaids except herself. I'vespent all my pocket money for this week, so I can't buy another ribbontill next Saturday. I shall have to go about in pink. Miau! I'll be sucha good little pussy-cat. I'm sure different colors make me good or bad.Don't laugh at me! I mean it! I'm a different person according to what Iwear."
For a short time the girls loitered about on the roof, enjoying thenovelty of their position, and particularly the fact that they were onunlicensed ground, and would undoubtedly get into trouble if they werecaught by Dominica or Anastasia. Naughty Peachy, to play the maids atrick, took down the row of towels, folded them neatly, and placed themin a pile behind the cistern, chuckling over the prospect of Anastasia'sconsternation when she came up to fetch them and found them missing.
"I owe her something for breaking my pink alabaster vase," sheannounced. "She's an awful smasher with her duster--just goes surgingahead over our mantelpiece and sends our ornaments flying. Mary'sPompeii pots went to smithereens yesterday. Now, Signorina Anastasia,you won't find your towels in too big a hurry. I guess I've paid youout."
"She'll pay _you_ out if she catches us up here," suggested Delia, whowas anxious not to forfeit her exeat. "Hadn't we better be getting amove on?"
"Words of wisdom, my child, fall from your lips like pearls anddiamonds. The same sage thought was occurring to your humble servant.Anastasia has what is commonly called a tart tongue, and an inconvenientand inconsiderate habit of reporting trifles at headquarters. It wouldbe quite unnecessary of her to mention to Miss Rodgers that she had seenus here, but I believe she'd go out of her way to do it."
"I'm sure she would, bad luck to her. Lead on, MacDuff! Let's descendfrom the Highlands to the Lowlands
."
"We may find further sport farther afield. I'm not at the end of myresources yet. I've an idea or two more in my head," nodded Peachy,escorting her friends down the staircase to the comparative safety ofthe back yard.
There was no doubt that Peachy was in an exceedingly mischievous moodand ready for any prank which came to hand. She dodged with herfollowers successfully past the kitchen door, without attracting thehostile attention of Anastasia or any other of the servants. She wasbent on exploring a patch of the garden which was only accessible fromthe rear of the scullery. She had observed it from the vantage-ground ofthe roof, and had decided that, by climbing on to a low shed, it wouldbe quite possible to scale the wall which divided the grounds of theVilla Camellia from those of its next door neighbor. The girls hadalways been extremely curious about the Villa Sutri. From theirdormitory windows they could catch a glimpse of its green shutters andcreeper-covered walls, set away among a thick grove of trees, and theyhad decided that its garden looked immensely superior to their own. Theestate belonged to Count Sutri, who often spent part of the winter andspring among his orange groves and his flowery pergolas. He was supposedto have a reputation for gardening, and rumors of his wonderful exoticshad circulated round the school. None of the girls, however, had everactually been inside the grounds.
Peachy's project was, of course, extremely audacious, and had the Countbeen at home she would hardly have dared to let it materialize. She hadheard Mrs. Clark mention on Sunday that their neighbor had started for acruise in his yacht, and that he would probably be away for aconsiderable time.
"The Villa will be shut up, and only a few gardeners left about theplace," declared Peachy, "and if I know anything of Italian gardeners,they'll all be sitting smoking inside the summer-house, so we needn'ttrouble ourselves to worry about them. It's the opportunity of alifetime. I saw the whole thing in a flash from the roof. There's a shedon our side of the wall and a shed on his. All you have to do is to stepover and get down. Nothing could be simpler. I'm just aching to explorethat garden."
Delia, still thinking of her exeat, demurred, and even Irene's valorslightly quailed.
"Oh, come on! Be sports!" tempted Peachy. "You'll never get such achance in your lives again--never."
So they hesitated, and were lost, and finally followed their leader upthe low, sloping roof of the shed.
As Peachy had prophesied, it was really remarkably easy. They had onlyto scale quite a low piece of wall, and drop on to the roof of the shedon the other side, then scramble down into Count Sutri's garden. In lessthan five minutes the feat was accomplished, and three rather awed butdelighted girls were speeding along a green alley in quest of adventure.
There was no doubt about it being a beautiful garden. It was morecarefully kept than that of the Villa Camellia, and contained choicerand rarer flowers. There were glorious tanks of water-lilies, and therewere pergolas of sweet-scented creepers, and the statues and arborsutterly eclipsed even those of a public park. It was evidently theCount's favorite hobby, and he had spared no expense in laying out thegrounds. Rather fearful of being caught by some chance gardener thegirls walked on, holding themselves in readiness to dive away ifnecessary and make a quick escape.
"Do you feel like Adam and Eve in Paradise?" queried Delia tremulously.
"Not a bit, because they never got back after they were once turned out.I wish we could annex this place and add it on to the Villa Camellia.The Count can't want it while he's away."
The girls wandered about in breathless enjoyment. Stolen waters aresweet, and somebody else's garden seemed much more attractive than theirown. They did not dare to venture too near the Villa, and kept carefullyaway from anything that looked like a grotto or a summer-house, in whichthey might find a gardener seated, enjoying his cigarette. At the end ofa rose pergola, however, Peachy made a discovery. It was neither morenor less than a flight of steps leading down to a door in the ground.She stood gazing at it with curiosity.
"Now I wonder what that is?" she exclaimed.
"'I WONDER WHAT THAT IS?' SHE EXCLAIMED"
--_Page 183_]
"Looks like the entrance to a mausoleum," shuddered Delia.
"Or the strong room where the Count keeps his money," laughed Irene.
"I don't believe it's either. I shouldn't be surprised if it's thepassage leading to the sea. I know there is one in the Sutri garden, toget down to the bathing cove. How priceless if we've happened to lightupon it. Is that door open? I'm going to see."
Peachy ran down the steps, turned the handle, and somewhat to her ownastonishment found the door unlocked. She was peering into a long darktunnel, at the end of which could be distinguished a faint glint oflight. This was indeed an adventure. It seemed a deed of daring toexplore such hidden depths, but she was out to take risks thatafternoon.
"Come along!" she commanded, bracing up the spirits of her more timorouscomrades.
Holding one another's arms particularly tightly, the three entered thedoorway and began to walk along the underground passage. It slopedsharply downwards, and was rough under foot, but the farther theydescended the brighter grew the light in front of them. Presently theyhad stumbled out of the darkness, and were emerging from a tunnel at thefoot of the cliffs, and stepping out on to the sandy shore of a littlecove.
It had always been a great grievance at the Villa Camellia that theschool had no bathing place, and the girls had greatly coveted the creekwhich was the exclusive property of their neighbor, Count Sutri. To findthemselves on a level with the sea, facing the lapping waves, wasexactly what they had hoped. They ran along the sand in huge delight, tothe very edge of the water. It was really a beautiful cove. There weregroups of rocks with smooth pools amongst them, and in the silvery sandwere numbers of tiny fragile shells, very pretty and delicate, and justthe thing for a collection.
"It's a shame it should all belong to one man who probably hardly everuses it," flamed Peachy. "Now, if only we could all come down here tobathe, wouldn't it be a stunt? The cove is really mostly under thegarden of the Villa Camellia. _I_ say it ought to belong to us."
"It's ours for the moment at any rate," said Irene.
"Yes, isn't it great? We've got it all to ourselves," rejoiced Delia,dancing along the beach with outstretched arms, like an incarnation ofZephyr or a spring vision of a sea-nymph. She skimmed over the sandalmost as if she were flying, but, as she reached the largest group ofrocks, her exalted mood suddenly dissipated and her high spirits camedown to earth with a thud. Sitting on the other side of the rock, calmlysmoking a cigar, was a middle-aged individual in a tweed coat and a softhat. The creek, which they had imagined was their private paradise, wasoccupied after all.
Delia fled back to her friends, this time on wings of fright, andcommunicated her awful discovery.
"It must be Count Sutri," gasped Peachy.
"He can't have started off in his yacht after all," agreed Irene.
"I don't _think_ he saw me, but I'm not sure about it," panted Deliabreathlessly.
"Whether he did or he didn't we'd better scoot quick," opined Peachy.
So three agitated girls dashed back over the sands and into the darktunnel, and hurried as fast as they could up the underground passage,expecting every moment to hear a footstep behind them and a voicedemanding to know what they were doing trespassing upon the premises. Atthe top of the tunnel a horrible surprise awaited them. The door throughwhich they had entered was shut and bolted. At first they could hardlybelieve their ill luck. They groped for the handle in the darkness, andpushed and pulled and turned and tugged, but all in vain. They eventhumped on the door and called, hoping to attract the attention of agardener, but there was no reply. They were hopelessly locked inside theunderground passage.
Now thoroughly frightened they were almost in tears.
"We shall have to go back to the cove," faltered Irene.
"And show ourselves to Count Sutri, and ask him to take us backsomehow," gulped Peachy.
"We're in for the b
iggest row of our lives with Miss Rodgers," chokedDelia.
There was certainly nothing else to be done. Time was passing quickly,and unless they could return at once to the Villa Camellia they would belate for preparation. Very sadly and soberly they walked back along theseashore to the rocks.
"_You_ explain, Peachy," urged the others, and Peachy, though she didnot relish the task thus thrust upon her, acknowledged that she was theinstigator of the whole affair and therefore responsible for helping hercompanions out of a decidedly awkward situation.
The gentleman in the soft hat was still sitting under the shadow of therock smoking, but he rose and threw away his cigar as the deputation ofthree advanced to address him. Peachy, in her very best Italian, beganto stammer out an explanation and excuses. He listened for a moment ortwo, then shook his head and interrupted.
"Sorry I don't speak much Italian. I'm afraid I don't quite understand."
"O-o-h! You're American!" gasped Peachy, her face one broad smile ofrelief. "We--we thought you were Count Sutri."
"I haven't that honor! I'm only plain Mr. Bond. I've taken the Count'svilla, though, for two months. Can I be of any service to you?"
"We're Americans too," sparkled Peachy; "at least Delia and I are. We'reat school at the Villa Camellia up there. I--I'm sorry to say we'retrespassing here. We climbed over the wall into your garden and camedown the passage to the shore, and now the door's locked and we can'tget back again."
"And it's nearly preparation time," added Delia desperately.
Mr. Bond's eyes twinkled with amusement.
"I'll take you back," he offered. "It was hard luck to find the doorlocked. I've hardly explored the place properly myself yet. I came downin the lift."
"The lift!" exclaimed Irene in surprise.
"Yes, here it is, and a very convenient arrangement too," said Mr.Bond, leading the way into an artificial cave close at hand.
Here to the girls' amazement was a perfectly modern and up-to-date"ascenseur," nicely upholstered and lighted by electricity. Mr. Bondushered his visitors inside, closed the door, pressed a button, andimmediately they shot aloft, landing ultimately in a kiosk in CountSutri's garden at the top of the cliff. Feeling as if a magician hadused occult means to transport them back to safety, the girls gazedround highly delighted to find themselves out of the cove. Their host,to whom they hastily confided some details of how they had penetratedinto his premises, fetched a ladder, and by its aid they mounted to theroof of the shed, and skipped over the wall on to the top of their ownwood-hut.
"You won't tell Miss Rodgers?" begged Peachy, waving a good-by to theirrescuer after they had all protested their gratitude.
"I guess I know how to keep a secret," he laughed. "I won't betray you.Hope you'll be in time. There goes your school bell. You've run it finebut I believe you'll just do it if you hustle up."
Three breathless girls, with minds much too agitated to applythemselves properly to French translation, slipped into the VillaCamellia at the eleventh hour, and answered "present" as their nameswere read on the roll-call. Peachy's disheveled hair drew down a rebukefrom Miss Bickford, but this was such a very minor evil that she took itmeekly, smoothed the offending elf-locks with her fingers, and composedher dimples to an expression of docile humility.
"We got out of that very well," she purred in private afterwards.
"Thanks to Mr. Bond and the lift," agreed Irene.
"I guess I'm not going to try anything so risky again," declared Delia."It was the fix of my life. I'll be down with nervous prostrationto-morrow. Shouldn't wonder if I raise a temperature to-night. PeachyProctor, you may coax and tease as you like, but nothing you say willever induce me to climb that wall and go into Count Sutri's gardenagain. It's not worth the thrills. Sorry to be a crab, but I mean it."