CHAPTER XV.
A COLONIAL BALL
The next Wednesday evening, after singing-school, Maid Sally said toMaster Sutcliff, with many a blush and a queer quaking of the voice:
"I have a great desire to see something of the fine ball, but thereappeareth no way for me to do it."
Master Sutcliff laughed at the courage as well as the frightened,anxious face of the maid. He next looked thoughtful for a space, andthen said, with nods and bows that made Sally's heart leap:
"I play the violin for the company, and must needs have rosin at hand incase a string getteth obstinate. And it might beseem me to have some onenigh to hand me music in the order it must be played."
"Oh, but I can't be seen," cried Maid Sally.
"No more you need, young maid. Many fiddlers will be there, and you canhave a low seat, even on a cricket hard by the bass viol, and though theplayers will be on a high platform, you can hide for a little whilebehind the big instrument and have a good peep at it all."
"How can I get in?" asked Sally.
"You can enter under the shadow of my wing," said Master Sutcliff, "butnot long had you best remain. At first no one would notice you, but itmight not be easy for you to long hide entirely: we change places oncein a while."
"I will go the moment I am bid," said the maiden.
* * * * *
In very truth all the bliss of Fairy Land opened up to Sally the nextnight.
Never before had the maiden had an idea of the glamour, the bewitchment,the splendor of such a scene.
The costumes, or dresses, the dancing, and courtly manners,--themanners of those who are about the court of a king,--the music thatthrilled and charmed her, sending all kinds of bright and airy dreamsthrough her mind, all these sent the blood rushing swiftly through theveins of the delighted maid as, spell-bound, she peered from behind thegreat bass viol.
"Oh, it is heaven, heaven!" she panted, as with great starry eyes shelooked down upon the splendid company. "And I, I could so enjoy it all,had I only been born to it! Was I born to it? Oh, no, no, it could notbe!"
"Who knows?" faintly asked her Fairy.
But Sally spent not much time in asking longing questions. The roomseemed filled with the odor of musk, attar of roses, and cologne,flowers, and perfumes of many kinds.
There was the governor, brilliant as a king, in purple velvet coat, goldlace, a white, flowered waistcoat with great frills of costly lace adownthe front and falling over his white hands.
Shining knee-buckles flashed back the light from hundreds of candles,which caught also the light from gleaming stones in the buckles of hishigh-heeled shoes. A man of fancy-fine appearance, but looked upon witheyes that loved him not, but rather despised him.
The ladies were like Fairy dreams, in stiff, brocaded-silks, sheenysatins, ribbons, lace, jewels, and necklaces of gold, amber, andmedallions--round stones with faces cut on them.
With dazzled eyes, Sally gazed upon the courtlike appearance of SirPercival Grandison, his wife, daughter, and niece. But her eyes lingeredlong on the Lady Rosamond Earlscourt.
Never in her brightest visions had the poor maid watching from theplatform beheld such radiance. The powdered hair was cushioned high onher head, and held between the puffs were white plumes and glossyleaves, joined in loops of small gilt chains.
Her bodice, or short waist, of pink velvet was laced over gauze puffingsand ran down both in front and at the back into long points over anupper skirt of white lace figured all over with threads of gold. Theoverskirt of gauze and gold was looped high at the sides over a skirt orpetticoat of white brocaded satin with a figure of pink roses. On cheekand chin were small black patches bringing out in vivid contrast thewhiteness of her skin.
Her snowy neck and shoulders were bare, and a string of thick gold beadsstrung on a wire kept directly in the curve of her throat. Goldbracelets with sparkling gems were on her white arms, a spray of pinkroses was against her bosom, and the feet that peeped plainly frombeneath her skirt were in white laced shoes, with high heels androsettes from which glistened the bright tints of pink stones.
Sally gazed enthralled,--held in a dream,--with a strange pain tuggingat her heart.
The question of why, why, was she out of all these things to which herwhole nature leaped as if they should be hers by right, was only keptdown by the wonder and splendor of all she saw.
But she caught her breath in fresh admiration when her eye fell on herFairy Prince.
He had been detained a few moments in the rooms below, and was directlyon a line with her eyes when suddenly she beheld him for the first timein more than two years.
"Fairy Prince! Fairy Prince!" cried her heart and faintly cried herlips, and she knew it not when Master Clinton turned around from hisbass viol, thinking he heard a strange sound. But he heeded not the raptgaze of the maiden, for she sat quiet as any mousie while her eyes drankin the vision of her Fairy Prince.
His thick hair was lightly powdered and curled at the ends. A coat ofblue velvet with silver braid and buttons of filagree,--or wroughtopenwork silver buttons,--fitted as if moulded to his tall, erect youngfigure. His waistcoat of cloth of gold had frills of rich lace at thefront, according to the general fashion of the day, and also at thewrists. A flashing diamond on his finger sent out shoots of red, blue,and yellow light.
He wore knee-breeches of blue velvet with bands of silver braid andjewelled buckles at the knee. His long white silk stockings wereclocked, or embroidered at the sides, while high-heeled, glitteringdancing-pumps set off his highly arched feet.
Sally noted the grace with which he bowed to the ladies and the lowcurtseys they returned. The ease and fine manners charmed her.
"They are born to it! born to it!" sighed the poor young maiden.
When the dancing began, she still sat entranced, watching chiefly onetall, splendidly arrayed young man who kept perfect time to the music,which rose and fell with a beauty of sound that brought tears to theeyes of Maid Sally.
Master Sutcliff, seeing the intense delight on the face of the maiden,said within himself:
"She shall remain until it cometh time to serve the syllabubs, the creamfroth and the nectars, then can she slip away without being seen."
It came all too soon, the pause in the merry dancing, for refreshments,when Master Sutcliff said, kindly:
"Now then, young friend, I fear me the time has come when you had bestdepart. I will go with you to the side door, so that none shall questionor trouble you."
As they passed a long room, he said, "Peep within a moment."
And Sally looked upon tables covered with all kinds of fancy dishes:there were froths, foamy custards, jellies she could almost see through,plum cakes, pound cakes, and the odor of strong, rich coffee, mingledwith the scent of flowers.
Colored servants were moving to and fro with the slow step of theSouthern waiter, and everything was orderly, abundant, and inviting.
Master Sutcliff said something to a man close at hand, and the nextmoment he was bidding Sally good night, at the same time he laidsomething on her arm.
"Merely a cheese-cake," he said, and in the soft moonlight Sally sawthat she held a heart-shaped cake filled with currants, with thinspires of cocoanut and cheese standing thick all over the top.
She entered the house through the shed at the side, went to her cubby ofa room, and sat down on the floor with her head against the bed.
"I am too happy to undress," she said, "or else too full of what I haveseen. I must think it all right over."
And there she stayed the livelong night with her shawl about her.
When at last she fell asleep, she saw her Fairy Prince, in his velvetcoat, his rich small-clothes and dancing-shoes, as large as life beforeher. The music of the violins with the deep note of the bass violsounded almost as plainly in her ears as they had in the Hall ofBurgesses.
But standing in the full light of the streaming candles was RosamondEarlscourt, a lovely creature in
silks and jewels, beckoning with aneager finger to the Fairy Prince.
Would he go? He had started toward her when his eye fell on a youngmaiden who was hiding midst the players on the platform.
This so alarmed the maid that she hid far behind Master Clinton's bassviol. But peeping around after a few moments, she saw the Fairy Princewas close at hand.
With a frightened jump she awoke. The sun was streaming into her littleroom.
"He was going to find me," said Maid Sally.