I KNOW I shall enjoy writing this chapter, I enjoyed its prospective
contents so much. To be perfectly candid, I liked going to Court better
than any other thing I did in England, not excepting Madame Tussaud's.
or the Beefeaters at the Tower, or even 'Our Flat' at the Strand. It
did a great deal to reconcile me, practically, with monarchical
institutions, although, chiefly on poppa's account, I should like it to
be understood that my democratic theories are still quite unshaken in
every respect.
It seems to me, looking back upon it, that we began to go very early in
the morning. I remember a vision of long white boxes piled up at the end
of the room through the grey of dawn, and a very short nap afterwards,
before the maid came knocking with Lady Torquilin's inquiries as to how
I had slept, and did I remember that the hairdresser was coming at nine
sharp? It was a gentle knock, but it seemed to bristle with portent as I
heard it, and brought with it the swift realisation that this was Friday
at last--the Friday on which I should see Queen Victoria. And yet, of
course, to be quite candid, that was only half the excitement the knock
brought; the other half was that Queen Victoria should see me, for an
instant and as an individual. There was a very gratifying flutter in
that.
The hairdresser was prompt. She came just as Charlotte was going out
with the tray, Lady Torquilin having decreed that we should take
our morning meal in retirement. She was a kind, pleasant, loquacious
hairdresser.
'I'm glad to see you've been able to take a good breakfast, miss,' she
said, as she puffed and curled me. 'That's 'alf the battle!' She was
sorry that she had to come to us so early, 'but not until two o'clock,
miss, do I expect to be for one moment off my feet, what with Ontry
ladys who don't wish to be done till they're just getting into their
carriages--though for that I don't blame them, miss, and nobody could.
I'm afraid you'll find these lappits very wearing on the nerves before
the day is out. But I'll just pin them up so, miss--and of course you
must do as best pleases you, but my advice would be, don't let them down
for anybody, miss, till you start.' But I was not sorry the hairdresser
came so early. It would have been much more wearing on the nerves to
have waited for her.
Perhaps you will find it difficult to understand the interest with which
I watched my own development into a lady dressed for Court. Even the
most familiar details of costume seemed to acquire a new meaning and
importance, while those of special relevance had the charm that might
arise from the mingling of a very august occasion with a fancy-dress
ball. When I was quite ready, it seemed to me that I was a different
person, very pretty, very tall, with a tendency to look backward over
my shoulder, wearing, as well as a beautiful sweeping gown, a lofty
and complete set of monarchical prejudices, which I thought becoming in
masquerade. I was too much fascinated with my outward self. I could have
wished, for an instant, that the Declaration of Independence was hanging
about somewhere framed.
Then the advent of the big square wooden box from the florist's, and
the gracious wonder of white roses and grasses inside, with little buds
dropping and caught in its trailing ribbons--there is a great deal of
the essence of a Royal function in a Drawing-Room bouquet. And then Lady
Torquilin, with a new graciousness and dignity, quite a long way off
if I had not been conscious of sharing her state for the time. Lady
Torquilin's appearance gave me more ideas about my own than the
pier-glass did. 'Dear me!' I thought, with a certain rapture, 'do I
really look anything like that?'
We went down in the lift one at a time, with Charlotte as train-bearer,
and the other maids furtively admiring from the end of the hall. Almost
everybody in Cadogan Mansions seemed to be going out at about the same
time, and a small crowd had gathered on each side of the strip of
carpet that led from the door to the carriage. It was Lady Mafferton's
carriage, lent for the occasion, and the footman and coachman were as
impressive as powder and buff and brass buttons would make them. In
addition, they wore remarkable floral designs about the size and shape
of a cabbage-leaf upon their breasts immediately under their chins. That
was another thing that could not have been done with dignity in America.
The weather looked threatening as we drove off, precisely at twelve
o'clock, and presently it began to rain with great industry and
determination. The drops came streaming down outside the carriage
windows; fewer people as we passed leaned out of hansoms to look at us.
Inside the Mafferton carriage we were absurdly secure from the weather;
we surveyed our trains, piled up on the opposite seat, with complacency;
we took no thought even for the curl of our feathers. We counted, as
we drove past them to take our place, and there were forty carriages in
line ahead of us. Then we stopped behind the last, in the middle of
a wide road, heavily bordered under the trees with damp people and
dripping umbrellas--there for the spectacle. All kinds of people and all
kinds of umbrellas, I noticed with interest--ladies and gentlemen, and
little seamstresses, and loafers and ragamuffins, and apple-women, and a
large proportion of your respectable lower middle-class. We sat in state
amongst them in the rain, being observed, and liking it. I heard my
roses approved, and the nape of my neck, and Lady Torquilin's diamonds.
I also heard it made very unpleasant for an elderly young lady in the
carriage in front of ours, whose appearance was not approved by a pair
of candid newsboys. The policemen kept the people off, however; they
could only approach outside a certain limit, and there they stood, or
walked up and down, huddled together in the rain, and complaining of the
clouded carriage windows. I think there came to me then, sitting in the
carriage in the warmth and pride and fragrance and luxuriance of it all,
one supreme moment of experience, when I bent my head over my roses and
looked out into the rain--one throb of exulting pleasure that seemed
to hold the whole meaning of the thing I was doing, and to make its
covetable nature plain. I find my thoughts centre, looking back, upon
that one moment.
It was three o'clock before we moved again. In the hours that came
between we had nothing to do but smell our flowers, discuss the people
who drove past to take places farther down the line, congratulate
ourselves upon being forty-first, and eat tiny sandwiches done up in
tissue paper, with serious regard for the crumbs; yet the time did not
seem at all long. Mr. Oddie Pratte, who was to escort us through the
palace and home again, made an incident, dashing up in a hansom on his
way to the club to dress, but that was all. And once Lady Torquilin had
the footman down to tell him and his brother-functionary under the big
umbrella to put on their rubber coats. 'Thank you, my lady!' said the
footman, and went back to the box; but neither of them took advantage of
the permission. They were going to Court too, and knew what was seemly.
And the steamy crowd stayed on till the last.