03 The Princess of the Chalet School (14 page)

Grizel swam off, and persuaded Margia’s small sister, Amy, to be a victim. The others frolicked about –splashing each other, surface-diving, and having races. The small ones were sent in very soon, and trottd off quite happily to
Abendessen
and bed, while the others sported about for a while longer. The water was beautifully warm, and they were very reluctant to leave it when Miss Durrant blew her whistle. However, they were well aware that if they did not come in at once, they would not be allowed to bathe again in the evening in a hurry, so they came to land and raced across the grass to the Chalet. Then soon dressed, and then sauntered out into the garden.

Abendessen
was ready shortly, and when it was over there was only a short time left to the middles. They were to go to bed early, as they had had such a full day.

When the staff had taken their departure Juliet turned to the other prefects. ‘Get the girls together,’ she said. ‘I have something to tell them.’

Grizel shot a glance at her. ‘Mystery?’ she said.

Juliet shook her head. ‘You’ll hear in a minute,’ she replied curtly.

There was a round up, and presently the school – with the exception of the juniors – was gathered together on the lawn.

‘Sit down,’ said Juliet, ‘I’ve something to tell you.’

Joey, who had arrived with the rest, suddenly looked wise, but she sat down in silence – an example followed by the others. What
was
Juliet gong to say to them?’

The head-girl wasted no time in beating about the bush. ‘I’ve asked you to come here,’ she began, ‘to tell you that Madame wishes you to know that she is going to be married at the end of July.’

There was a startled gasp. The girls had know that the wedding would take place some time soon, but they had not expected it yet. The news that the date was fixed came as a shock to them.

Grizel recovered herself first. ‘So
that’s
the mystery?’ she said. ‘Well, we might have guessed it if we had thought!’

‘Madame married?’ cried Margia. ‘Oh, how
awful
!’

‘
Schrecklich
!’ – ‘
Effrayant
!’ – ‘Ghastly!’ The exclamations went the round. The girls had never thought of this.

‘What on earth does she want to get married for yet?’ demanded Evadne in a somewhat querulous tone.

‘Well, they’ve been engaged more than a year,’ Grizel reminded her.

‘But won’t she teach in the school any more?’ Frieda sounded aghast. ‘Why, it won’t
be
the Chalet School without Madame!’

‘Where will they live, Joey?’ Margia turned to Jo as being the one likely to know most about the matter.

‘They’ll live in the new chalet Jem has had built above the Sonnalpe,’ replied Jo gloomily.

‘
Won’t
she teach us any more, then?’

‘With a house to look after?’ Joey spoke in her most sarcastic tones. ‘Don’t be silly!’

Margia retired crushed, and Frieda took up the tale. ‘Did Madame say
when
, Juliet?’

‘Yes. It will be on July the twenty-seventh – three days after we break up,’ said the head-girl in tones almost as gloomy as Joey’s.

‘Well,’ said Evadne – and she pronounced it ‘Waal’ – ‘Well, I suppose she must get married
some
time; but I wish she’d left it till
we
were through with school!’

This was the general feeling for the moment. No one could imagine the Chalet School without Miss Bettany.

‘Who will be headmistress next term, then?’ inquired Elisaveta.

‘Mademoiselle will,’ said Joey. Then she got up from the grass. ‘I just want to say one thing. I think you’re all jolly selfish about it! She wants to be married, and she has every right to be. It’s just as rotten for everyone, ‘cos Marie and Eigen will be going with her, and she’s going to take Rufus too. So do stop grousing about it – when
we
are round, anyhow! – and think of her a little!’

With this she stalked off, leaving the others staring after her.

‘That’s quite right,’ said Juliet. ‘After all, if it’s bad for us, it’s worse for Jo, because she will have to be here in term time, and she’s never been away from Madame in her life. It’s time the middles were going upstairs now.’

The middles rose and went in silence. They were thinking hard enough, though.

Naturally, after that piece of news, nothing else had any chance of occupying the thoughts of the school all the next week. The girls were divided between sorrow for themselves, sympathy for Jo and the Robin, and rejoicings over the Head’s happiness. Nothing else was mentioned, and lessons were rather sent to the background. Then, on the following Wednesday, a letter came for Elisaveta which turned the thoughts of them all to her concerns. Dr. Tracy had written to say that her father had had a bad fall from his horse, and was suffereing from concussion and a broken leg. At the same time the King had written to Miss Bettany to tell her that the Crown Prince was very ill, and that under no circumstances was his little daughter to attempt to come to him. If things went well, he would be out of danger in a short time; if they went badly, she would not be in time to see her father alive, and it was thought better to keep her away from the horrors of the funeral pageantry that would take place if the last occurred. In any case, Cosimo was a danger to the child, who was as great a favourite with the people of Belsornia as he was hated, and it was very necessary that there should be no public demonstration in her favour, as was almost certain to occur if anything happened to the Crown Prince.

Madge took the poor child to her study and kept her there for the rest of the day, with only Joey and the Robin to see her. A wire was expected hourly, for the King’s letter had said that whichever way things went, they must move quickly. The Crown Prince had been poorly for some days before this occurred, and his only chance lay in preserving his strength as far as possible.

Elisaveta acquiesced in the decision as bravely as she could. The poor child had not forgotten her lesson of

‘the welfare of the kingdom first,’ and she knew that any trouble on her behalf and against Prince Cosimo would lead to serious trouble when her father’s cousin fame to the throne. ‘You will tell me as soon as the wire comes,’ she pleaded, clinging to Madge.

‘Yes, darling. As soon as ever I hear,’ replied Madge, holding her closely. ‘Try to be brave. Remember Dr.

Tracy is a wonderful doctor. God willing, I believe he will pull your father through.’

‘Yes,’ whispered Elisaveta. ‘He is good and kind; but oh, there
is
only daddy!’

Madge could only kiss her again, with murmured words of comfort. Then she had to go to her class and leave her along. The Robin came in ten minutes later, and snuggled up to where she sat on the couch. ‘Tante Marguerite sent me,’ she murmured. ‘
Poor
Elisaveta! Never mind; God will look after your papa, just as He did mine when he was in that horrid Russia. I used to ask Him every night, and He did. He’s always splendid!’

Elisaveta smiled through her tears, and put her arms round the baby. ‘You are a darling!’ she said chokily.

‘I think you are the dearest baby I’ve ever known.’

‘Tante Marguerite says so too,’ said the Robin comfortably.

The Princess nodded as she dried her eyes with fierce scrubbing on her handkerchief.

‘Let’s go out to the lake,’ suggested the Robin, slipping down from her seat. ‘We may if we like. Shall we?’

Elisaveta got up. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘The lake is always beautiful.’

They wandered out and down to the lake path, where the visitors were strolling about. The Robin led the way to the boat-landing, past the great Kron Prinz Karl. One of the pretty little lake steamers was just coming in, gleaming spotlessly in the bright July sunshine. She was heavily laden; for a number of visitors were in her, coming to one or other of the big hotels which had been built round the lake. The two children watched her with interest as she drew into the little landing-stage, where porters were waiting to carry the luggage to its destination. Many people were watching her too, and they cast interested glances at the two who were quite obviously from the school which had grown up farther along the shore. The big panama hats, brown-linen tunics, and tussore tops were very familiar to the tourists, and the two were so very pretty

– the Robin, brown and rosy and dimpled; Elisaveta, slim and graceful, with long brown curls tied back, and deep brown eyes set in a flower-like face.

They themselves, were far too interested in the
Scholastika
and her passengers to heed anyone on shore, and they had not been standing five minutes before the Robin suddenly gave a little ecstatic crow of delight.

‘It’s Gisela, and Bernhilda, and Wanda!’ she cried. ‘Look, Elisaveta! Oh, how nice! Tante Marguerite
will
be pleased!’

Elisaveta looked and saw three girls, all about eighteen years old, and all smiling and waving to the baby, who was dancing about excitedly. Even the Princess could not feel anything but delighted; she had heard so much about these three. Gisela had been the first head-girl of the Chalet School; Bernhilda was the elder sister of her own friend, Frieda; and Wanda von Eschenau had passed into a sort of fairy legend among the younger girls. When anyone said anything about Marie von Eschenau’s looks, some one was always certain to say, ‘Oh, but think of Wanda!
She’s
much, much lovelier!’

Elisaveta had grown to think of this wonderful girl as being like the fairy princess of one of her adored fairy-tales, and, for a wonder, she was not disappointed. Wanda von Eschenau was exquisitely lovely, with golden hair, deep violet eyes, and a skin of roses and lilies.

The three saw the Robin and waved excitedly to her. They made a rush as soon as they could get to shore, and, catching her up, simply devoured her with kisses.

‘What are you doing,
Bübchen
?’ demanded Bernhilda, when at length they set her down and came to earth.

‘I am with Elisaveta,’ explained the Robin. ‘She is sad because her father is ill; so we are here to watch to boat, instead of lessons.’

The girls had heard of the little Princess of Belsornia, and at once turned to her with sympathetic smiles. ‘It was in the
Neue Freie Presse
this morning,’ said Gisela. ‘I am so sorry.’

‘She is good, our
Bübchen, nicht wahr
?’ added BErnhilda, an arm round the Robin.

Wanda said nothing, but she bent and kissed the little girl, with a smile.

‘Come,’ said the Robin eagerly. ‘You must come now – at once, to the Chalet!’

‘But first speak to papa,’ said Gisela, half-turning to a slight dark man who had been watching them with a quiet smile.

The Robin at once went up to him, her face held up for a kiss. She knew Herr Marani very well, for she and the Bettanys and Juliet Carrick had often stayed with him and his family in Innsbruck. He gave in to her at once, and then she pulled him over to Elisaveta. ‘This is Elisaveta,’ she said.

He took the little hand in his. ‘I have heard of you, my child. I feel for you in your sorrow.’

Elisaveta clung to his hand eagerly. ‘It
will
be all right, won’t it?’ she said. ‘He had Dr. Tracy, and I’m asking God all the while.’

The Tyrolean nodded gravely. Like all his race he was very deeply religious, with a simplicity of faith which could understand the child’s own belief that if only she asked God for help, it
must
be all right. ‘It is safe with Him,’ he said in his gentle voice. ‘God and Our Lady will help you, however it goes.’

Then he turned to the others. ‘Shall we not go to the Chalet?’ he said. ‘Fraülein Bettany may have some news for this Mädchen even now.’

They agreed at once; and while the Robin trotted ahead with Bernhilda and Wanda, Gisela and Herr Marani came in the rear, Elisaveta still holding fast to his hand. Two men, who had been the last to leave the steamer before she steamed away to Geisalm, farther up the lake, looked after them curiously. ‘Who is that?’

growled the taller of the two, a handsome, dark man, whose beauty was marred by the many lines and a haughty air.

‘I do not know, Highness,’ replied his companion obsequiously.

‘Ridolfo has not sent one of his own men to guard the brat?’ said the other.

The shorter man, who was evidently afraid of his friend, shook his head. ‘Indeed, Highness, I cannot tell you,’ he said earnestly.

His Highness, Prince Cosimo, heir after the Crown Prince to the throne of Belsornia, scowled in reply. ‘It would be just like Carol to make a fuss, and get him to do it,’ he growled. ‘They think as much of the brat as if she were a boy, and could inherit.’

Maurús Ternikai looked anxious, as well he might. His master was never easy to get on with, and if anything went wrong with their carecully laid plans, he knew who would have to suffer for it.

Luckily, Cosimo turned down his own fear. ‘I am wrong, Ternikai. Why should they fear from me? Did I not go from His Most Gracious Majesty of Belsornia, after listening to the most scathing remarks on my latest escapade, as he was pleased to call it, without a murmur? Surely he must think that I am well on the road to reformation. It was such a piece of luck that you should hit on her in the Zillerthal. We might have traveled the whole Continent over before we lighted on her, had it not been for that. You served me well then, and I shall not forget.’

Ternikai looked gratified, but he still watched his royal master cautiously.

Cosimo glanced at him impatiently. ‘Good heavens, man, can you not cease to look at me as though you feared I should kick you if if pleased me? Now, remember, after this, no more Royal Highnesses! I am merely Signor Carlo Belsarni, traveling for pleasure, and to see the world, as all good Belsornians should do.

What is the proverb? “See the world, and then thank God you are a Belsornian.”‘ He laughed.

Ternikai was swift to fall in with his humour, and when they turned in at the Stefanie, where rooms had been booked for Signor Ternikai and friend, they were both in high good humour.

Meanwhile, Elisaveta, quite unwitting of her danger, walked to the Chalet, saying very little, but feeling the fatherly protection in the warm hand that clasped hers.