The morning call., 1890-12-14

before, so perhaps this Is not surprising.
A few gentlemen were standing about the
room holding fans and bouquets, leaning
over the backs of the ladies' chairs and
costumes of black velvet and silk stockings
and shoe-buckles, and officers in uniform
were scattered through the room looking as
if they felt rather more important than the
men in black. as l daresay they did, repre-
senting that most glorious and impressive
institution, the army, while the others were
only private gentlemen, their own property.
and not connected with her Majesty In any
personal way whatever. As. we criticized
and chaffed and chatted door opened at
ladies rose preoipitately and swept forward.
A sudden movement among the ladies
nearest the silken barrier-a sudden concen-
tration of energy that came with the
knowledge that there was progress
to be made, progress to royalty A
into another apartment full of empti-
ness and marble pillars, and we were once
more at q stand-still, having conquered
few places. brought to mastery inactivity
by another silken cord and another gentle
man of the court, polite but firm. In the
room beyond we could see certain figures
moving about at their ease, with no crush
and no struggle-the ladies and gentlemen
of the private entree. With what lofty SUI
periority we invested them! They seemed.
lOI tiie tillts W UciUuS u oOiUe OlueT pililtt,
where royal beings grew and smiled atevery
street corner, and to be, on the other side of
that Sllken barrier, san unreasonable dis
lance off. 1t was a distinct shock to hear
an elderly lady beside me. done up in anne
thy sis. recognize cousin am0ngsthem. 1t
seemed TO be self-eydent that she had no
right to have a cousin there.
1t was like great shimmering wave ra-
dlaht IN color, breaking in a hundred places
into the foam of thase dimpling feathers
and streaming lappets, aud it rushed with
unanimity to the open door, stopping there,
chafng, on this side of silk rope and a
gentleman of the court.
WE HURRIED ON WITH THE WAVE,
And presently we were inextricably massed
about half way from its desparng outer
edge, III an encounter of elbows which was
only less than furious. Every body gath
cred her tram over her left arm-it made
one think OF the ladies of Nepaul, who wear
theirs in front, it IS said-and clung with
one hand to her prodigious bouquet. protect
ing her pendant head-dreSs with the other.
About twenty of us were let in at once.
The last of the preceding twenty were slow
ly aud singly pacing after one another's
trains round two sides of this third big
room toward door at the further corner.
There was most impressive silence. As
we got into file L felt that the supreme mo-
ment was at hand, and it was not COM
Portable feeling. Lady Torquilin, in front
uniform she ought to have been afraid OF,
only that nothing ever terrified Lady Tor
quilin, which made it less comfortable still.
'Oh, Lord Mafferton," said she-I hadn't
recognized him in my nervousness and his
gold lace" how many curtseys are there to
make?"
Nine, dear lady," replied this peer, with
evident enjoyment. Its the most brilliant
drawing-room of the season. Every royalty
who could possibly attend is here. Niue,
at the least"
Lady Torquiln's reply utterly terrified
me. 1t was confidential and delivered in an
undertone, but it was full of severe mean
ing.
Sim FULL OF RHEUMATISM"
Said she, land l can't doit!' The question
as TO what LHdy Torquilin would do, if not
what was required of her. rose wildly be-
lore me and kept me company at every step
OF that interminabe round. Am | all
right?' she whispered over her shoulder
from the other end of that trailing length of
pansy-colored velvet. Perfectly" said,
But there was nobody to tell me that was
all right mi ght have been a thing of
dropped; | was walking on pink pearls
What pityl And had forgotten to take
off my glove; would it ever come unbut-
toned? How deliberate we were nearing
that door at the further end. And how
could possibly have supposed that my
heart would beat like this! 1t WAS all very
well TO allow ones self a little excitement in
preparation but when it came to the actual
event reminded myself that had not had
the slightest intention of being nervous. |
called all my Democratic principles to my
aSslstance-none of them would come
Remember, Mamie Wick" said i, to my
self, you don't believe in queens" But
at that moment l saw three gentlemen of
the household bending over and stretching
out Lady Iorqullin's train into an illimit-
able cxpanse. l looked beyond, and, there
in the midst of ali her dazzling court, stood
Queen Victoria. And Lady Torquilin was
bending over her hand. And in another
moment it would bet was my turn. l
felt the touches on my own train, heard
somebody call name l had vague
familiarity with-"Miss Mamie Wick" |
was launched at last toward that little black
figure OF royalty with the blue ribbon
crossing her breast and the Koh-i-nor
s arkilng there. Didn't you believe in
queens, Miss Mamie Wick, at that moment?
I'm very much afraid you did.
And all that | remember after was going
down very unsteadily before her and lust
daring the slightest touch of my lips upon
The gracious little hand she laid on mine
And then not getting nearly time enough to
make all of those niue curtseys to the beau
tliul, sparkling people that stood at the
Queen lett handibefore two more gentle
men of tie court gathered up my draperies
from behind my feet and threw them merci-
fully over my arm for me. And one awful
moment when l couldn't quite tell whether
l had backed out of all royal presences or
not, made up my mind that / had, then I'M
made il. and in agony of spirit turned and
backed again.
1t was over at last | had kissed the hand
of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland,
and there's no use in trying to believe any
thing 10 the contrary was proud of ii.