Ainslee's Magazine, February 1913 — page 43: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE POINT OF VIEW 33 the party should leave the Grand and take the five-o’clock train to Florence, and their preparations were made. Mrs. Ebley had herself been labor- iously packing, so as not to take Mar- tha from her post, and orders were whispered to that faithful Abigail, through Stella’s letter slide, to pack Miss Rawson’s things at once. Stella watched these preparations se- renely, and gave Martha directions as to what to put on the top. Then, when all was finished, and she had donned her hat, she rang the electric bell for the waiter, and when he knocked at the door she calmly bade him enter, which, of course, he was able to do with his key; and she told him, in French, which Martha did not under- stand, to send the porters there imme- diately, and to have her luggage con- signed to the care of the servant who would be waiting in the passage. This person would give orders for its des- tination. The waiter bowed obsequious- ly. Had he not been already heavily tipped by the intelligent Ivan, and in- structed instantly to obey the orders of mademoiselle ? “It is much better I am before them,” Stella thought to herself, while Martha looked on in rageful bafflement. “The porters will come up and take the trunks outside, Martha,” Miss Raw- son said. “You can give them what or- ders aunt told you to.” Such was her supreme confidence in the methods of her lover that she felt sure once Ivan was apprized of the fact by the waiter that the trunks would be consigned to him, it would not mat- ter what Martha said to the porters. So she calmly sat down by the window and folded her hands, while the elderly maid fumed with the uncertainty of what she ought to do. And in a few mo- ments the men appeared, and smilingly seemed to understand the gestures and English orders of Martha to take the trunks to the door of Madame Ebley, No. 325, round the corner of the pas- sage and on the opposite side. They nodded their heads wisely, and carried the boxes out, shutting the door after them, and then there was silence 3 for a while, and Stella half dozed in her chair—it was so warm and peaceful by the window, and she had had so little sleep in the night. An hour passed, and at four o’clock the Aunt Caroline appeared. Her face was grim. Had Stella been an outcast in deed and word, she could not have looked more disdainful. “You must come down with me now, Stella,” she said; “we are ready to go to the station. I will remain with you here until Martha gets her hat.” Stella rose to her feet, and before the astonished lady could speak more she had swiftly passed her and gained the door, which she threw open, and, like a fawn, rushed down the passage toward the staircase on the entrance side of the hotel; and by the time her slowly moving aunt had emerged from the room she had turned the corner and was out of sight. Fortunately she met no one on the stairs except one astonished page, and arrived in the outer corridor breathless with excitement and emotion. Count Roumovski saw her through the door of the hall, and hastened to meet her. “There is not a moment to be lost,” she said as he got to her side. “Go to the place you went before, under the trees,’ he whispered hurried- ly in return. “The automobile is there, and I will follow presently.” So she went. Her knees would hardly support her, she trembled so, until she was safe in the big blue motor, which moved off at once. For an awful moment a hide- ous sense of horror overcame her, mak- ing her cold. What lay in front of her? What new fate? And then joy and life came back. She was going to freedom and love—away from Ex- minster and dreary duties—away from Eustace Medlicott—forever! For, of course, her uncle and aunt would come round in time, and they could be happy again with her some day. When Mrs. Ebley had collected her scattered senses and followed down the passage, only to find Stella out of sight, she was obliged to retrace her steps CORICLOOOLKK< (F@)