A BALL AT COURT
The Sansevero party left the opera shortly after ten o'clock, and a
little while later drove into the courtyard of the Quirinal. Entering a
side door, they ascended a long staircase, upon each step of which was
stationed a royal cuirassier, all resplendent in embroidered coats,
polished high boots, and veritable Greek helmets, which seemed to add
still further to their unusual height. Between their immovable ranks the
guests thronged up the stairway to the Cuirassiers' Hall. Here, at the
long benches provided for the purpose, they left their wraps in charge
of innumerable flunkies in the royal livery--which consists of a red
coat, embroidered either in gold or in silver, powdered hair, blue plush
breeches, and pink stockings.
Nina followed her aunt and uncle through an antechamber into the throne
room and beyond again into the vast yellow _sala di ballo_. Here also
the cuirassiers, who were stationed everywhere, added a martial dignity
to the splendor of the scene. The people were all massed against the
sides of the room; and although certain important personages had seats
upon the long red silk benches placed in set rows, the great majority of
those present stood, and stood, and stood. In contrast to her weary
waiting at the afternoon reception when, a few days before, she had been
presented at court, Nina found so much to interest her to-night that she
did not remark the time. One side of the room was quite empty save for
the big gilt chair reserved for the Queen, and the stools grouped around
it for ladies in waiting. Three especial stools were placed at the left
of the queen for the three "collaresses"--those whose husbands held the
highest order in Italy, the Grand Collar of the Annunciation.
It was the most brilliant gathering that Nina had ever seen, chiefly
made so by the gold-embroidered uniforms and court orders of the men.
The dresses and jewels of the women differed very little from those seen
at social functions elsewhere. With a rare exception, such as the
Duchessa Astarte and the Princess Vessano, whose toilettes were the most
_chic_ imaginable, the great ladies of Italy followed fashions very
little. Not that Nina found them dowdy--far from it: they had a
distinction of their own, which, like that of their ancient palaces,
seemed to remain superior to modern decrees of fashion. Nearly all of
them had lovely figures, which they did not strive to force into newly
prescribed outlines.
A remark that a foreigner in New York had made to Nina came back to her,
and she now realized its truth. It was that the one great difference
between the women of Europe and those of America was that in Europe one
noticed the women, while in America too often one noticed merely the
clothes. The Roman ladies wore plain princesse dresses, the majority of
velvet or brocade, and with little or no trimming save enormous jewels
often clumsily set, but barbarically magnificent.
Here and there, to Nina's intense interest, she found, strangely mingled
with the others, people of the provinces, who, because of distinguished
names, had the right to appear at court, yet who looked as though they
were wearing evening dress for the first time in their lives. Near by,
for instance, was a lady whose rotund person was buttoned into a
tight-fitting red velvet basque of ancient cut, above a skirt of pink
satin. A court train, evidently constructed out of curtain material, was
suspended from her shoulders. Broad gold bracelets clasped her plump
wrists at the point where her gloves terminated, and a high comb of
Etruscan gold ornamented the hard knob into which her hair was screwed.
Princess Vessano represented the other extreme--that of fashion. She was
in an Empire "creation" of green liberty satin with an over-tunic of
silver-embroidered gauze. Her hair was arranged in a fillet of diamonds,
which joined a small banded coronet, also of diamonds, set with three
enormous emeralds. Around her throat she had a narrow band of green
velvet bordered with diamonds and with a pendant emerald in the center
that matched pear-shaped earrings nearly an inch long. Yet in a crowd
of three thousand persons neither the grotesque lady nor the princess
was remarkable.
The crush of people became greater and greater until it seemed
impossible to admit another person without filling the center of the
ballroom and the royal space. As there was no music, the chatter of
voices made an insistent humming din. At last! the Prefetto di Palazzo
sounded three loud strokes, with the ferule of his mace, upon the floor,
the sound of voices ceased, the doors into the royal apartments were
thrown open, the band struck up the royal march, and their Majesties
entered, followed by the members of their suite. Every one made a deep
reverence, and the Queen seated herself upon the gold chair. The King
stood at her left. As soon as the Queen had taken her place, the dancing
commenced, led by the Prefetto di Palazzo and the French ambassadress.
But as a wide space before the Queen's chair was reserved out of
deference to their Majesties, the rest of the ballroom was so crowded
that dancing was next to impossible. Presently the King made a tour of
the room--followed always by two gentlemen of his suite, with whom he
stopped continually to ask who this person or that might be, sometimes
speaking to special guests.
The Queen likewise singled out certain strangers of distinction. In this
way she sent for a United States senator, who was making a short visit
in Rome, and kept him talking with her for a considerable time. Her
Majesty sat through the first waltz and quadrille. Then she and the
King promenaded slowly through the assemblage, speaking to many people
as they passed. Some careless foot went through Nina's dress, tearing a
great rent, just as she made her reverence to their Majesties, who were
approaching. The Queen smiled sympathetically and held out her hand for
Nina to kiss, at the same time exclaiming her sympathy, then, quite at
length, her admiration for the lovely dress. Nina flushed with pleasure,
feeling that the damage to her prettiest frock had been more than
repaid.
Giovanni was standing with Nina at the time, and after their Majesties
had passed, he looked quizzically at the torn hem that Nina held in her
hand. "Is it altogether spoiled?"
Nina laughed. "If I were sentimental, I should keep it always in tatters
in memory of the Queen!"
"But as you are not sentimental--I hope it can be mended. May I tell you
that her Majesty's admiration was well deserved? It is a most charming
costume and not too elaborate. The touch of silver in the dress is just
enough to go with the silver fillet over your hair. White is seldom
becoming to blondes, but it suits you admirably."
She looked up, frankly pleased. "It is nice, really? I am so glad!" She
was perfectly happy, and her smile showed it. The whole evening had been
delightful. The disagreeable impressions made by the Contessa Potensi
and Favorita were forgotten as she danced with Giovanni, who performed a
feat of rare ability in finding a passage through the crush.
Presently he said to her, "When their Majesties have gone into an
adjoining room, then the rest of us can go to supper."
As he spoke, Nina saw them disappear through the doorway. "Are they not
coming back?" she asked.
"No. They have gone."
"But do they never dance?"
"Never! Queen Margherita and King Humbert always opened the ball by the
_quadrille d'honneur_, with the ambassadors and important court ladies
and gentlemen. But the present King abolished all that."
At the end of the waltz Tornik managed to find Nina and announced
supper. In the stampede for food there was such a crush that people
stepped on her slippers and literally swept up the floor with her train.
Tornik, being a giant, and able to reach over any number of smaller
persons, finally secured a _pâté_ and an ice. Standing near her, two
young men were stuffing cakes and sandwiches into their pockets. Amazed,
she drew Tornik's attention. He shrugged his shoulders. "Who are they?"
she whispered. "Princes, for all I know," was his rejoinder. "Poor
devils, many of them never get such a feast as this."