Patty and Elise agreed that the beauty and dignity of the situation was somewhat impaired by the personally conducted effect, but they thought that was compensated for by the funny side of it all. The tourists followed the conductor like a flock of sheep, one or another occasionally straying away for a time, and nearly all of them making notes in little note-books. Indeed, some of them were so intent on their notes that they merely gave glances at the beautiful things exhibited, and spent most of their time scribbling in their books and referring to their Baedekers.
The interior of the Chateau was delightful. As Patty had surmised, it was largely devoted to pictures and relics of the Conde family. She was greatly pleased to discover a gallery of battles which, though not large, illustrated the battles of the great prince who was called the Grand Conde. Although Patty was of a peaceful enough nature, she had a special liking for the glory and grandeur of paintings of battle scenes, and she tarried in this gallery as long as she could.
Both she and Elise adopted the Grand Conde as one of their favourites, and greatly admired the numerous portraits of him, with his handsome face and generally gorgeous effects.
In one of the halls of the Chateau post-cards were on sale, and Patty eagerly looked them over to make the selection she wanted.
But the Personal Conductor discovered that time was flying, and that if he let all of his charges delay over the post-cards, other sights must be omitted.
So he scurried them along through the various galleries and salons, pausing in the Library and the Chapel. The Chapel awed Patty, as the impressive burial places of kings always did, and especially was she interested in a Cippus, which was a receptacle for the hearts of several of the princes of Conde.
“It seems wonderful,” she said to Elise, “to take out their hearts and put them all away together like that, but they had strange ways in the times of my friends, the Condes.”
“I’m beginning to be very much interested in your friends, the Condes,” replied Elise, “and I think, after all, I shall join your French history class this winter.”
Then they proceeded to the beautiful park of Chantilly, which was laid out by the same landscape gardener who afterward designed the gardens of Versailles.
The park was enchanting, and the many buildings in it most interesting.
“There’s one thing certain,” said Patty, “I shall come here some day and camp out for the day in this park and wander around without being personally conducted.”
“And I shall do myself the honour to accompany you,” said Elise; “I’m sure I can persuade father to send us out here in the car some day and let us play around by ourselves.”
All too soon the megaphone’s voice called them to start on their homeward trip. Patty and Elise were among the first to take their seats in the great motor car, and as Patty was looking over her beloved post-cards, she suddenly discovered that she had no portrait of her friend, the Grand Prince.