The Four Corners Abroad Page 3

  CHAPTER III

  HOUSEKEEPING

  "IT is certainly a question which is hard to settle," said Mrs. Cornerone morning to her sister-in-law. "I've just been talking to Madame,and she thinks she must go."

  "Go where? What's a hard question?" asked Nan looking up from a page oftranslating.

  "I am afraid we shall have to make a change," her mother told her."Madame Lemercier has decided that she must close her house for theremainder of the summer and go to her sister who has taken a villa inSwitzerland, filled it with demoiselles and has now fallen ill."

  "There are loads and loads of _pensions_," returned Nan.

  "Yes, but we want just the right one. This suits us in so manyparticulars that I am afraid we shall never chance upon its like again.Here we have pleasant, airy rooms, an adequate table, and good service.We are near the Bois, and the trams, yet we escape the noise of thecity. To be sure it would be more convenient to be nearer the shops andsome other things, but, take it all in all, I am afraid we are goingto find it hard to select. I do so hate to go the rounds; it is so veryexhausting."

  "Aunt Helen and I will do it. Mother must not think of wearing herselfout in that way, must she, Aunt Helen?"

  "Of course not," replied Miss Helen. "There is one thing you mustconsider, Mary, and that is your health before anything else, and weshall all raise a protest against your doing any tiring thing likehunting up _pensions_."

  "You make me feel that I am a very worthless, doless creature,"returned Mrs. Corner.

  "We want to keep you right along with us wherever we are," Nanremarked. "I, for one, have no idea of having you rush off to Lausanneor some such place and leave us to our own devices here in Paris, andthat is what it will amount to if you don't take care of yourself."

  "Hear the child," exclaimed Mrs. Corner. "You would think she was themother and I the daughter. I dare say you are right, Nan, and I meeklyaccept the situation, in spite of your superior manner."

  "Nan's had so much responsibility with the younger children," put inMiss Helen, "that it comes quite natural to her to bring any one totask."

  "Was I superior?" asked Nan, going over to her mother and caressingher. "I didn't mean to be. You are so precious, you see, that I have tothink about what you ought and what you oughtn't to do."

  "I quite understand, dear child, though it does make me feel ashamed ofmyself to have to give up my duties."

  "Your duty is to coddle yourself all that is necessary," Miss Helentold her, "and this matter of changing our _pension_ is to be left toNan and me."

  "Bravo!" cried Nan. "When you use that authoritative manner, AuntHelen, we all of us have to give in, don't we, mother?"

  "I know I do," laughed Mrs. Corner.

  "How should you like to take a furnished apartment?" asked Miss Helenafter a moment's thought. "I shouldn't be at all surprised but that myfriend, Miss Selby, could tell us of one. You could have a maid whowould relieve you of all care, and Paris is full of French teachers,so the children could go on with their lessons. We have not much moreshopping to do, so you could sit back and rest."

  "I believe I should like that plan," answered Mrs. Corner. "It hasbeen so long since we had anything like a home that it would be a verypleasant change."

  "I think it would be perfectly lovely," declared Nan. "I've alwayslonged for an apartment in Paris, since I heard Miss Dolores tell aboutthe way her cousins used to live here. By the way, we ought to behearing from Mr. St. Nick. And what about England, Aunt Helen?"

  "We'll get this other matter settled first, and then we'll see whatis to be done next. Your mother declares she wants no more of Englandafter her last rainy, chilly experience there, and I am not sure itwould be best for her to venture. She is tired, and I think a rest isdesirable for her." Mrs. Corner had left the room to speak again toMadame Lemercier.

  "Shall we go at once to see Miss Selby?" asked Nan. "She has such adear little studio, and has been in Paris so long that I am sure shecan help us out, Aunt Helen."

  "We may as well start at once," agreed Miss Helen. "Go get on yourthings, and I will be ready in a few minutes."

  "I was thinking," said Nan when she returned, a little later, "thatMiss Joyce might like to come and help to overlook the children, whenwe older ones are not on hand. She will be adrift after Madame goes,and she is not well off, you know. She speaks French like a native, andshe might relieve mother of some care. She is fond of the kiddies andif we should happen to take that trip to England, we would feel morecomfortable about leaving mother here."

  "That isn't a bad idea," returned Miss Helen, "and we may be able tofollow it up if the apartment becomes a fixed fact."

  The two started off, and were gone all morning, not even appearing atthe midday meal. Early in the afternoon they came back looking rathertired, but triumphant. "We've found it," cried Nan; "the dearest place."

  "What have you found?" asked Mary Lee, who, with Jo and Mrs. Corner,was in the sitting-room.

  "Haven't you told her, mother?" said Nan. "Good! then I'll have all thefun of breaking the news. We're going from here. Madame Lemercier'sgoing. We are all going."

  "Are you trying to conjugate is going?" asked Mary Lee.

  "No. Wait a minute and I'll tell you. Madame Lemercier has to closethis house because her sister is ill in Switzerland. Result, theCorners are thrown out upon the wide wide world. Aunt Helen and I havebeen to see Miss Selby--you know Miss Selby, Mary Lee, the one who hasthat pretty studio, and is so entertaining--well, my child, listen;she knew of exactly what we want in the apartment-house where she is.Another artist has an apartment there, a big one, and he is very eagerto rent it because he wants to go to Brittany. We looked at it and itwill be all right, I think, though it has one bedroom short. However,we can eat in the living-room, and put up a cot in the dining-roomfor me or somebody. There is a _femme de menage_ who goes with theapartment, and we can rent everything, even the table linen, theHuttons say. It's awfully cheap, too."

  "Where is it?" asked Mrs. Corner.

  "Over in the Luxembourg quarter, mother mine, convenient to everything.Do let's go."

  "It sounds all right," said Mrs. Corner. "What did you think of it,Helen?"

  "It seemed just the thing to me, and we were most lucky to find it, Ithink. The Huttons go out on Monday, and we can move right in, bag andbaggage, as soon after as we choose. Of course it is very artistic withsketches and studies on the walls, but it looked comfortable, and Mrs.Hutton seems to be a good housekeeper."

  "It would be better if we could remain this side the river," said Mrs.Corner doubtfully. "I am afraid it will be rather hot over there."

  "It is quite near the Luxembourg Gardens, and I noticed the roomsappeared airy and well ventilated. We are hardly likely to have warmerweather than that of the past week."

  "True. July is the hottest month. I'll go to-morrow and look at theplace, if you can go with me, Helen. We may as well settle it at onceif it is satisfactory."

  "I shall be delighted to go with you, my dear," returned Miss Helen.

  Jo, listening, looked rather subdued and thoughtful.

  "Won't it be fun?" said Nan in an aside.

  "For you, yes."

  "And why not for Miss Josephine Keyes, pray?"

  "I shall have to rejoin Miss Barnes and her girls. You know it wasjust because we rearranged the schedule so I'd have the chance to staylonger and give more time to French and German, that I was allowed toslip out of the party while they were doing Holland and Belgium."

  "But it will be some time before they come to snatch you, and yousurely will not desert us."

  Jo brightened visibly. "Oh, would you really take me in, too? I thoughtmaybe I would have to do something else; go into a school or something.I'm here for study, you see."

  "You don't mean to say that you thought we would leave a single lambto the ravening wolves of Paris?" said Nan. "I thought better of you,Jo."

  NAN VOLUNTEERED TO GO FOR SUPPLIES.]

  "But I would be perfe
ctly safe in a convent or somewhere."

  "_Naturellement_, but you don't go there unless you have a distinctyearning to do it. You are in mother's charge and she means to keep youunder her eye."

  "Then I must be the one to sleep in the dining-room."

  "I've staked out that claim myself. You are to room with Mary Lee; wehave settled it all."

  The visit to the apartment was made by Mrs. Corner the next day, andresulted as Nan hoped it would, so the following Monday saw them movein with their belongings. Miss Joyce, upon being interviewed, wasdelighted to accept the proposition made her, but as there was not roomin the apartment for her, Miss Selby, across the hall, offered herspare room for the time being, and so Miss Joyce became one of them,going on with her own studies and assisting the others in theirs.

  "It is the greatest help in the world to me," she confided to thealways sympathetic Miss Helen, "for I have to pinch and screw to makeboth ends meet. Madame Lemercier let me have my little room with herin consideration of my helping her with beginners, and with theprospect of being deprived of that source of supply, I was feelingrather blue, and pictured myself subsisting upon crusts in a garret.You dear people are so intuitive and have come to my rescue in such asweet way, as if the favor were all on your side."

  The _femme de menage_ failed to appear at the appointed hour, notquite understanding when she was expected, and Nan, who delighted inrising to occasions, volunteered to go forth for supplies. "There is afascinating market not far off," she said. "We passed it the other daywhen we were coming here. And as for _cremeres_ and _boulangeries_, andall those, there is no end to them. I'll interview Miss Selby and gether to tell me the best places to order regularly. Who'll go to marketwith me?"

  "I will, I will," came the chorus.

  "Jack spoke first," said Nan, "so come on, sinner. Don't tell me whatto get, mother. If I forget anything I'll go again, or the maid canwhen she comes. I am just longing for some of the things we can't getat a _pension_ table. I am going to carry a net, just as the workingpeople do. I don't care a snap who sees; it is only for once, anyhow.There is a nice smiling _concierge_ lady down-stairs, very differentfrom that vinegar jug at Madame Lemercier's. You might give a list ofgroceries, mother. I am not so well up on those, and I can order themfrom Potin's."

  She and Jack started out gleefully, returning with their supplies aftersome time. Then the three older girls set to work to cook the secondbreakfast on the gas-range. The kitchen was a tiny one and the threequite filled it, but they managed very well and their efforts werereceived with great applause.

  "Of all things," cried Mrs. Corner; "fried eggplant; my favorite dish."

  "And sliced tomatoes with mayonnaise," said Miss Helen. "How delicious."

  "Strawberries and cream! Strawberries and cream!" sang out Jeandelightedly.

  "And actually liver and bacon, a real home dish," said Miss Joyce."Nan, you are a jewel."

  "It's the best little market," said Nan. "There is everything under theshining sun to be found there. I never saw so many kinds of fruits andvegetables, and they are really very cheap. Some of the things, theeggplants, for instance, look different from ours; they are a differentshape and much smaller, but I saw most of the vegetables we are usedto having at home, except green corn and sweet potatoes. As for thefruits, there are not only the home varieties but others, such as figsand some other queer things I don't know the name of. I bought themost delicious sort of canteloupe for to-morrow's breakfast, but it wasmore expensive than those we have at home."

  "I almost wish we were to have no maid," said Mrs. Corner.

  Nan laughed. "If you could see the array of pots and pans there are towash you wouldn't wish. I hope Marie or Hortense or whatever her namemay be, will soon appear, for I am tired." She fanned her hot face witha newspaper.

  "You poor child; you have worked too hard," said her mothersympathetically. "We will have the _concierge_ lady, as you call her,come in and do the dishes. That is one of the advantages of being here;there is never any trouble in getting a person in to do whatever youmay wish to have done. This is delicious bread, Nan, better than we hadat Passy."

  "Miss Selby told me where to get it. They call these lovely yard longtwo-inch-diametered sticks, _baguettes_. Aren't they nice and crusty?"

  Mrs. Corner ate her meal with more relish than she had shown for sometime and Nan was satisfied that the move was a good one.

  The maid did not appear till the next morning, so the whole party dinedat a queer little restaurant near by, staying to listen to the musicand to watch the people come and go. Nan prepared the morning coffeewhich was pronounced the best since the home days, and as the baker hadnot failed to leave an adequate number of _baguettes_, and the milk andcream were promptly served, there was no need to go forth for the earlymeal.

  Jack sighed over leaving her friend, the _cocher_, and the two littleplaymates, Clemence and Pauline, but she soon became interested in abeautiful cat, called Mousse, which lived in the drug store below, andwho played a number of clever tricks, these being displayed by hismaster with great pride. Jack discovered, too, that the _concierge_had a parrot, so the child found her entertainment here as easily asshe had done elsewhere. Jean was satisfied with dolls and books inany place, and moreover, being very fond of good things, thought thechange from Madame Lemercier's rather frugal table one to be approved.Mary Lee and Jo found plenty to do in watching the life which went onin the streets, while Nan liked to go further afield to the marketwhich she declared was as amusing as a farce. "I wish you could seethe bartering for a piece of meat," she told the family. "There is onebutcher I could watch all day. I never saw such expressive contortions,such gesturings, such rollings of eyes and puffings out of cheeks, andthen to see a scrap of a Frenchwoman wriggle her fingers contemptuouslyunder his very nose, while he looks fierce enough to bite them off,is as funny a performance as I ever beheld. Then after they havesquabbled, and shrieked and abused each other long enough they end upwith such smiles and polite airs as you never saw. You should hearHortense answer the market people. She always has just the smartestand sauciest things to say, and how they do enjoy that sort of thing.Besides the market itself is really a sight to see. Even a stall withnothing but artichokes on it will be made attractive by a fringe offerns, and as to the hand-carts piled with flowers, they ought to be ajoy to any artist. I counted twenty different varieties of vegetablesto-day, and as many kinds of fruit. We can scarcely do better than thatin America at the same time of year. Oh, no, I wouldn't miss goingto market for anything. I feel so important with Hortense walkingrespectfully behind me, ready with advice and polite attentions."

  Tall, slight, dark-haired Nan was nearly sixteen. "My girl is growingup," sighed her mother. "She has the nest-building instinct, Helen. Weshall not have her as a little girl much longer."

  "She has still some years left," returned Miss Helen. "She has manychildish ways at times, in spite of her being the eldest, and of havinghad more responsibility than the others. When she enters college itwill be time enough to think that womanhood is not far off."

  Nan, Mary Lee and Jo had just set to work at their French history. Nanwas discoursing fluently, flourishing her book as she talked. "And herein these very streets it went on," she said. "Can you realize, girls?Fancy the Louvre seeing so many wonderful historical events. It wasfrom there that the order went forth for the massacre of the Huguenotson that dreadful night of St. Bartholomew, and----"

  "I don't want to fancy," Jo interrupted. "It is bad enough if you don'ttry to. It's too grewsome, Nan, to talk about."

  "But it impresses it on one so vividly to talk about it, and we shallremember it so much better; besides I like to imagine."

  "I don't see the good of it when it is all over and gone," said MaryLee. "There is no use shedding tears over people who have been dead andin their graves a hundred years. That is just like you, Nan, to get allworked up over things that are past and forgotten."

  "They never will be forgotten," maintained Na
n, "unless you forgetthem, which you are very liable to do, if you take no more interest.Well, then, if you must be slicked up and smoothed down by somethingsweet and agreeable, pick it out for yourself; I am going to study tolearn and not because I want to feel comfortable."

  "There's the _facteur_," interrupted Jo. "Let's see who has letters."She rushed to the door to be the first to receive the postman's sheafof mail. "One for you, Nan," she sang out; "another for Mrs. Corner;one for me,--that's good,--and actually one for Jack. Two for you, Nan,for here's another."

  Nan had already torn open the envelope of her first letter and waseagerly scanning the contents. "Just wait a minute," she said. "This isexciting. Please put the other letter somewhere, Jo, till I get throughwith this. Oh, I do wonder----"

  "What is it, Nan?" asked Mary Lee, seeing Nan's excitement.

  "Wait one minute. It's----"

  "You're so exasperating," said Mary Lee. "You just jerk out a word andthen stop without giving a body an inkling of what you mean."

  "I'll tell you in one minute. I must finish reading."

  Seeing there was no getting at facts till Nan had come to the endof her letter, Mary Lee gave up in despair and went off to deliverthe other mail. But before she returned Nan had rushed wildly to hermother, and Mary Lee found the two in lively conversation. "Oh, butcan't we?" she heard as she opened the door of her mother's room.

  "Can't we? What we?" she asked.

  "You and I, anyhow," returned Nan. "It is a letter from Mr. St. Nick.He and Miss Dolores are at San Sebastian. Tell her, mother. Oh, do saywe can go."

  "There, Nan, dear, don't be so impatient," returned Mrs. Corner. "Justwait till we can talk it over. It cannot be decided all in one minute,besides, I have not had time to read my own letter yet. I see it isfrom Mr. Pinckney, and I have no doubt but that it is upon the samesubject."

  "I wish you would tell me what it is all about," said Mary Leedespairingly.

  Nan thrust her letter into her sister's hand. "There," she said, "readit for yourself."

  This Mary Lee proceeded to do while Nan hovered near, trying to gatherfrom her mother's expression what she thought of the proposition whichMr. Pinckney had made.

  "It is out of the question for us all to go," said Mrs. Corner as shelaid down her letter. "We have taken this apartment and have made allour arrangements, and to allow even you and Mary Lee to take that longjourney alone is something I could not think of."

  "Oh, mother!" Nan's voice expressed bitter disappointment.

  "If there is any one country above another that I do want to see, itis Spain," said Mary Lee sighing as she handed back the letter she hadbeen reading.

  "I am sorry, but I don't see how it can be managed," returned Mrs.Corner. "However, I will talk to your Aunt Helen about it and----"

  "If there can be a way managed you'll let us go, won't you?" Nan putin impatiently. "If we should happen to find any one going that waywho would chaperon us it would be all right, wouldn't it? Mr. St. Nicksaid he would meet us anywhere the other side of Bordeaux. He suggestedBiarritz and there must be thousands of people going there."

  "There may be thousands, and doubtless are, but if we don't know anyone of them it would not do any good."

  "We surely must know one," replied Nan still hopeful.

  "Let's go and watch for Aunt Helen," said Mary Lee, as eager as Nan foronce. She adored Miss Dolores and had looked forward to meeting herwith her grandfather, so now to have the opportunity thrown at them,as Nan said, and not to be able to take advantage of it seemed a cruelthing. They went back to the living-room to pour out their enthusiasmto Jo, who looked a little wistful though she was greatly interested.

  "I should miss you awfully," she said, "though Miss Barnes and theother girls will be coming along soon, and I should have to go anyhow,I suppose."

  "It won't be so very long even if we do go," Nan assured her; "not morethan a month."

  "Oh, I shall keep busy improving each shining hour," said Jocheerfully, "and it will be so good to have you back again."

  "That's one way of looking at it," laughed Nan. "Oh, I do hope we cango."

  "Go where?" asked Jack who had just come in.

  "To Spain," Nan told her. "Mr. St. Nick has written to say that he willnot take no for an answer. He wanted the whole Corner family to come,but mother says it is out of the question, so it has dwindled down toMary Lee and I, if any one goes at all. Who's your letter from?"

  "Carter."

  "Carter? Well, he is nice not to forget us. What does he say?"

  "Read it." Jack handed over her letter which Nan must have found notonly interesting but amusing, as she laughed many times before she hadfinished reading. "Cart is a nice boy," she said as she folded up thesheet. "I shall be glad to see him again."

  "It will be many a long day before you do," remarked Mary Lee.

  "Not so long as you think, maybe," returned Nan. "He may come abroad inthe spring, and says perhaps we can meet in Italy if we are there then."

  "We're pretty sure to be, for we shall not leave Munich before March,Aunt Helen says."

  "There's Aunt Helen now," exclaimed Jack who was watching from thewindow. And the appearance of Miss Corner put an end to all thoughts ofCarter Barnwell for the time being.

  Nan projected herself so suddenly upon the little figure that itstaggered under the onslaught. "Oh, Aunt Helen," she cried, "blessedand always helpful godmother, the fairest of fairy godmothers, we doso want to go to Spain and you must use your fairy wand to create achaperon for us. Make her out of anything, old rags, toads, anything,anything, so we get her. Please do."

  "What are you talking about, you catapult. You have nearly knockedthe breath out of me, you great big Newfoundland dog trying to bea terrier pup. You forget I am not your superior in size if I am inyears. Let me get off my hat and give me breathing space, then tell mewhat the excitement is."

  Nan released her aunt and allowed her to collect her senses before shetold her tale which was listened to attentively. "I'd love to have yougo," said Miss Helen.

  "Of course you would. You are always that sort of dear thing."

  "But just at present I don't see how it is to be managed. However, Iwill put on my thinking-cap and perhaps the next twenty-four hours willbring me an idea."

  "When Aunt Helen puts on her thinking-cap a thing is as good as done,"declared Nan to Mary Lee, and both felt quite sure that the journey toSpain would be undertaken.

  CHAPTER IV

  A GLIMPSE OF SPAIN]