From a large bay window of an upper room of the mansion1, to which the boys were taken by order of the man with the empty sleeve, they could see great ship building yards and the tall chimneys of sugar refineries6.
Looking at the tapestry-hung walls, Billy remarked: “This reminds me of Arras.”
“Sure, it does,” agreed Henri. “But,” he added, “without the noise of the big guns.”
“Wonder if it isn’t train time?”
Jimmy evidently did not approve of all this ceremony over the short journey still before them.
“You’d think it was an affair of state,” he concluded.
“But you must remember, Jimmy,” advised Henri, “that Paris is something of a closed town, these days. They are not advertising7 for visitors up there, unless they come in uniform, and of the right color. I, for one, don’t want to be searched,” feeling for the packet inside his shirt-front, and giving also a tug8 to the treasure belt.
“Right you are,” approved Billy, “and when you figure that we haven’t a passport among us. Mine was soaked to a pulp9 when that old scow blew up and strewed10 the sea with us. I couldn’t this minute prove that I was from Bangor.”
“We’re all members of the Don’t Worry club,[170] and we have always alighted on our feet,” was Henri’s cheerful view. “Besides, we’re traveling under sealed orders, so to speak, and it’s up to the fellow who is personally conducting this excursion.”
The last mentioned personage just then put in appearance, smiling and making apology for being so long away from his guests.
“I have some rare good news for you,” he impressively announced—“and a plan that will be much to your liking11, I think”—looking at Henri, and with a side glance at Billy.
“The letter from my friend, whose name I shall not mention, and which monsieur the captain handed to me, I had not read until I left you, and I knew not until the reading that of the air two of you are masters. It is splendid, and it so beautifully fits. Pardon the enthusiasm of a Frenchman, but so superb is the idea, I must speak this way. You shall go to Paris, not among the locked in of the railway carriages, not in the cabin of some little steamer—like a bird you shall go. Is it not grand?”
Billy had begun to believe that the speaker had stopped too often in the cafés during the visit downtown, but so convincing was the statement which followed that he felt sorry for holding such a belief:
“In this port there have just arrived three of[171] the new military a?roplanes, so much larger than the little ones that have been sent out from the forts in Paris for scouting—these bigger ones give room for an observer to move and signal, and the pilot may attend alone to his duty of managing the machine.
“You understand the foreign make?”
It would evidently have been a sore disappointment to the eager proposer if the answer were contrary to his hope.
“They all look alike to us,” assured Henri.
“Glorious! It is but the one thing, to put together these fine birds, to fly them to Paris, and when they are there, so you are there. What benefit for all. Gilbert! Gilbert!”
Responding to the call of the excitable host, a stocky built youth with a shock of coal-black hair of such length that it mixed with his eyebrows13, and who had evidently been awaiting the result of the conference upstairs, sauntered through the doorway14.
“For what would you take him?”
Billy thought that he would not “take him” at any price for beauty, but he politely guessed:
“Artist?”
“Ah! That is it—he is one artist like yourselves—he is the great scout12 of the air. Gilbert LeFane of Rouen.”
[172]
“But what gallant16 service it is. Permit me now, my dear Gilbert, to present the youths who also fly with the best, Monsieur Trouville and Baree, also the young men who travel with them.”
Jimmy and Reddy felt a couple of inches growth through the tops of their heads. Billy was thinking how “Baree” would sound in Bangor.
Gilbert spoke17 rapidly and to the point. He was here to receive the a?roplanes which had been specially18 built for his government. An expert assistant in assembling these machines was overdue19, and it was a matter of emergency—of great emergency, he emphasized.
To his patriotic20 friend, who had so generously praised him a few minutes before, he had confided21 his troubles, and this meeting was arranged. Would the young gentlemen volunteer for this relief service?
The young gentlemen would—and did, and in less than a day, the new machines were set to the tune22 of flight.
The master of the mansion was a picture of delight over the success of that which he had brought about, and even cherished a fond hope that he had permanently23 added to the flying corps24 of his beloved France.
He assured the boys that when they followed[173] Gilbert in the air trip up the Seine to the capital, it was insuring them a welcome beyond anything they could have expected—doubly welcome, indeed, with this and with the endorsement25 of the power at Calais.
“I wish I knew how far his knowledge goes regarding the sealed packet that I am carrying,” thought Henri.
But about this, Henri discreetly26 resolved not to ask any questions.
As to the manner of proceeding27 on their a?rial journey, it was decided28, of course, that Gilbert should lead in one machine, Henri and Reddy in the second, and Billy and Jimmy in the third.
They followed the course of the river, as the crow flies, land crossing and cutting out the big bends, and with never a mishap29, so perfectly30 were the machines adjusted and so expertly managed—a master hand at every wheel.
Billy said to Jimmy that surely Joseph’s coat never had as many buttons on it as there were towns, little and big, along this line of travel.
But when he looked down on Paris, on its quays31 and embankments, on its magnificent public squares, on its beautiful gardens, on its lofty towers, all surrounded by twenty-two miles of fortifications, Billy rested on the guiding wheel in silent admiration32.
The grim visage of war was pale in the distance.
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1
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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prevailing
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| adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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dame
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| n.女士 | |
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refineries
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| 精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 ) | |
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7
advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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8
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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pulp
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| n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆 | |
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10
strewed
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| v.撒在…上( strew的过去式和过去分词 )；散落于；点缀；撒满 | |
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11
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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12
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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13
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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14
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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15
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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17
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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overdue
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| adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的 | |
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patriotic
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| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
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confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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permanently
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| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
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corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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endorsement
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| n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注 | |
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discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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27
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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28
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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31
quays
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| 码头( quay的名词复数 ) | |
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32
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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