Castles -- France; Touraine (France) -- Description and travel
After a somewhat strenuous morning of sightseeing and a sumptuous regale
at the Hotel St. Aignan, whose name pleased us on account of its Dumas
flavor, we climbed up to a lovely terrace garden from which we could
overlook the town and the cathedral, to which distance certainly lends
enchantment. In this pleasant resting place I am writing to you, dear
Margaret, while we wait for a late train to Paris. M. La Tour expects
his auto to meet us and convey us to the station and then to take him to
his home. We shall miss him, as his kind attentions and vast fund of
information have added much to the pleasure of our sojourn in Chateau
Land. To-day he has managed our time so judiciously that we have seen
everything of importance in Orleans without being hurried, and we now
have this quiet hour on the hillside garden before setting forth upon
our journey. He evidently has no idea of what is happening in our midst,
and is as attentive as ever to Lydia, talking to her and walking with
her, whenever Archie gives him a chance; and who can blame him? I have
never seen Lydia more charming than she is to-day; but the soft light
that shines in her eyes is not for the young Frenchman, I am sure.
Walter says:
"If La Tour had his wits about him he would see what is going on under
his nose; it takes a sledge hammer to drive in some other things beside
a joke."
Here comes the auto, and in five minutes we shall be _en route_ for
Paris.
XVI
A CHATEAU FETE
PARIS, September 16th.
WE found Angela eagerly awaiting us when we reached our destination, and
I must admit still more eagerly awaiting another arrival, as Mr. McIvor
was expected by a train due here later than ours. Since she had been
with his Scotch and English relatives, Angela insists upon having her
fiance called Mr. McIvor, as that is the custom in his own country. She,
however, much prefers our calling him by his own delightful Scotch name,
Ian, and we like him well enough to fall in with her desires. Ian
arrived in due time, and our party is now complete.
"How fortunate it is that the hour was in our favor instead of the
Doctor's," exclaimed Walter; for according to French etiquette to have
left Angela here unchaperoned with her lover in the same city, even if
not in the same hotel, would have shocked all ideas of propriety. "I
fancy that M. La Tour, good fellow as he is, couldn't understand our
leaving Angela here by herself even for a single night."
"No," I said, "and I didn't think it necessary to tell him."
"Queer notions these people have! As if Angela didn't know how to take
care of herself!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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