CHAPTER NINETEEN.
THE FANCY BALL.
It was somewhat of a shock to the Fresher contingency to receive onemorning the intimation of a Costume Ball, to be held in Clough Hall onthe following night; but their protests met with scant sympathy from theelders. When Darsie plaintively declared that she hadn't got a fancydress, and would not have time to send home for it if she _had_, athird-year girl silenced her by a stern counter-question: "And where,pray, would be the fun if you _had_, and _could_? If at the cost of apostcard you could be fitted up as the Lady of the Lake in greendraperies and water-lilies, it would no doubt be exceedingly becoming,but it would be no sport. No, young woman, you've got to contrivesomething out of nothing and an hour stolen from the night, and whenyou've done it you'll be in the mood to appreciate other people'scontrivings into the bargain. Buck up! You're one of the dressy sort.We'll expect wonders from you."
But when Darsie repaired to the seclusion of her study and set herselfto the problem of evolving a fancy dress out of an ordinary collegeoutfit, ideas were remarkably slow in coming. She looked questioninglyat each piece of drapery in turns, wondered if she could be a ghost incurtains, a statue in sheets, an eastern houri in the cotton quilt, aPortia in the hearthrug, discarded each possibility in turn, and turnedher attention to her own wardrobe.
Black serge, grey tweed, violet ninon; two evening frocks, and the onewhite satin which was the _piece de resistance_ of the whole. A clothcoat, a mackintosh, an art serge cloak for evening wear--how _could_ onemanufacture a fancy dress from garments so ordinary as these?
In despair, Darsie betook herself to Margaret France's room and foundthat young woman seated before her dressing-table engaged in staringfixedly at her own reflection in the mirror. She betrayed noembarrassment at being discovered in so compromising a position, butsmiled a broad smile of welcome out of the mirror, the while shecontinued to turn and to twist, and hold up a hand-glass to scrutinisemore closely unknown aspects of face and head.
"I know what you've come for! I've had two Freshers already. Bowledover at the thought of inventing a costume--that's it, isn't it? Oh,you'll rise to it yet. The only difficulty is to hit on an idea--therest's as easy as pie. That's what I'm doing now--studying my phiz tosee what it suggests. My nose, now! What d'you think of my nose?Seems to me that nose wasn't given me for nothing. _And_ the widthbetween the eyes! It's borne in upon me that I must be either a turniplantern or a Dutch doll. The doll would probably be the most becoming,so I'll plump for that. Don't breathe a word, for it must be a secretto the last. As for you--it would be easy to suggest a dozen pretty-pretties."
Margaret wheeled round in her chair, and sat nursing her knees,regarding Darsie with a twinkling eye. "Big eyes, long neck, neatlittle feet--you'd make an adorable Alice in Wonderland, with ankle-strap slippers, and a comb, and a dear little pinny over a blue frock!And your friend can be the Mad Hatter. Look well, wouldn't she, with ahat on one side? There are only the girls to see you, and the morecomic you can make yourself the better they'll be pleased. You areabout to be introduced to a new side of Newnham life, and will see howmad the students can be when they let themselves go. You'll laughyourself ill before the evening's over. Well, think it over, and comeback to me if you want any properties. My dress will be easy enough--braided hair, short white frock (butter-muslin at a penny the yard),white stockings with sandals, another pair of stockings to cover myarms, chalked face and neck, with peaked eyebrows and neat little spotsof red on the cheekbones and tip of the chin. If you feel inclined tobe angelic, you might run up with your paint-box at the last minute, anddab on my joints."
"Joints!"
Darsie gaped in bewilderment, whereupon Margaret cried resentfully--
"Well, I must _have_ joints, mustn't I? How do you expect me to move?A paint-box is invaluable on these occasions, as you'll find before youare through. Now, my love, I'll bid you a fond adieu, for work presses.By the by, one word in your ear! Don't ask a third-year girl to dancewith you if you value your nose!"
"What will happen to it if I do?"
"Snapped off! Never mind I look pretty and meek, and perhaps she'll ask_you_. Now be off--be off--I must to work!"
Darsie descended to Hannah's study and proposed the idea of the MadHatter, the which was instantly and scornfully declined. Hannahexplained at length that though her head might be plain, it yetcontained more brains than other heads she could mention, and that toplay the part of idiot for a whole night long was a feat beyond thepowers of a mathematical student reading for honours. She thenexplained with a dignity which seemed somewhat misplaced that she hadset her heart upon representing a pillar-box, and was even now on thepoint of sallying forth to purchase a trio of hat-boxes, which, being offashionable dimensions, would comfortably encircle her body. Fastenedtogether so as to form a tube, covered with red sateen, and supported byscarlet-stockinged legs, the effect would be pleasingly true to life.
"I'll have peep-holes for eyes, and the slit will outline my mouth.Between the dances I'll kneel down in a corner so that the box touchesthe ground, and I'll look so real, that I shall expect every one to dropin _letters--chocolate_ letters, observe! You might buy some and setthe example!"
For the next twenty-four hours an unusual air of excitement and bustlepervaded the college, and the conversation at mealtime consisted for themost part of fragmentary questions and answers bearing on the importantsubject of costumes in making.
"Lend me your boot brushes, like a lamb!"
"Got an old pair of brown stockings you can't wear again?"
"Be an angel and lend me your striped curtains just for the night!"
"Spare _just_ ten minutes to sew up my back?"
So on it went, and in truth it was a pleasant chance to hear the merry,inconsequent chatter; for, like every other class of the community, girlstudents have their besetting sins, and one of the most obvious of theseis an air of assurance, of dogmatism, of final knowledge of life,against which there can be no appeal. Girls of nineteen and twenty willsettle a dispute of ages with a casual word; students of economy willadvance original schemes warranted to wipe the offence of poverty fromthe globe; science students with unlowered voices will indulge acrossthe dinner-table in scathing criticisms on historic creeds which theirfathers hold in reverence; and on each young face, on each young tongue,can be read the same story of certainty and self-esteem.
This state of mind is either sad, amusing, or exasperating, according tothe mood of the hearer; but, whatever be his mood, he yet knows in hisheart that it is a transitory phase, and an almost inevitable result oftheoretical knowledge. A few years of personal grip with life and itsproblems will make short work of that over-confidence, and replace itwith a gentler, sweeter touch.
But to-night was a night of frolic, and one would have to travel farindeed to find a more amusing spectacle than an impromptu costume dancein Clough Hall. Beauty is a secondary consideration, and the girl whohas achieved the oddest and most ludicrous appearance is the heroine ofthe hour. Darsie Garnett made a fascinating Alice in Wonderland in hershort blue frock, white pinny, and little ankle-strap slippers, her hairfastened back by an old-fashioned round comb, and eyebrows painted intoan inquiring arch, but she received no attention in comparison with thatlavished upon Hannah, when she dashed nimbly in at the door, and,kneeling down in a corner of the room, presented a really lifelikeappearance of a pillar-box, a white label bearing the hours of"Chocolate deliveries" pasted conspicuously beneath the slit. Hannah'sprophecies proved correct, for it became one of the amusements of theevening to feed that yawning cavity with chocolates and other dainties,so that more than one sweet tooth in the assembly made a note of thesuggestion for a future day.
The Dutch Doll was another huge success; for so dolly and so beyond allthings Dutch did she appear, standing within the doorway with jointedarms and rigid back, with dark hair plastered over the forehead in thewell-known curve, and the three little spots of colour blazing out
fromthe whitened background, that it was almost impossible to believe thatshe was living flesh and blood. Like a statue she stood until thelaughter and applause had lasted for several minutes, and then, steppingjerkily on one side, made way for a new and even more startlingapparition.
Topsy, by all that was wonderful and unexpected! A beaming, grinninglittle nigger girl, with tightly curled hair, rolling eyes, and whiteteeth showing to the gums. A short gown of brilliantly striped cottonreached to the knees, brown-stockinged arms and legs were matched bybrown-painted face and neck; standing side by side with the Dutch Doll,the respective whiteness and brownness became accentuated to apositively dazzling extent, and the onlookers were jubilant withdelight. The climax was reached when the two waltzed off together roundthe room, the doll sustaining a delightful stiffness and stoniness ofmien, while Topsy's grin threatened to reach to her very ears.
Ordinary costumes fell somewhat flat after these triumphs, though to theFreshers there was a continuing joy in beholding dignified students intheir third year pirouetting in childlike abandonment. There, forinstance, was the cleverest girl in college, of whom it was accepted asa certainty that she would become a world-wide celebrity, an austere andremote personage who was seldom seen to smile; there she stood, thedaintiest Christmas Cracker that one could wish to behold, in a sheathof shimmery pink, tied in the middle by a golden string, finished ateither end with a froth of frills, and ornamented front and back withimmense bouquets of flowers. By an ingenious arrangement also, if youpulled a string in a certain way, a mysterious cracking sound was heard,and a motto made its appearance bearing an original couplet whosereference was strictly and delightfully local.
The run on these mottoes was great, and after their points were fullyenjoyed, they were folded carefully away, to be kept as souvenirs of thegreat scholar of later years.
The evening was half over, and the girls had settled down to the dance,when suddenly, unexpectedly, the great excitement arrived. At a momentwhen the music had ceased, and the various couples were preparing forthe usual promenade around the Hall, a loud roar was heard from without,and into the middle of the floor there trotted nothing more nor lessthan a tawny yellow lion, which, being confronted by a crowd ofspectators, drew back as if in fear, and crouched in threatening manner.Its masked face showed a savage row of teeth; a mass of red hair,shortened by that mysterious process known as "back combing," produced asufficiently convincing mane; a yellow skin hearthrug was wrapped roundthe body, while paint and wadding combined had contrived a wonderfullygood imitation of claws.
It was the colour of the hair alone which revealed the identity of theLion to her companions. "It's that wretched little ginger Georgie!"
"That little ginger beast!" went the cry from lip to lip. But, abuseher as they might, for the rest of the evening "Ginger Georgie" remainedthe centre of attraction, as she persistently ambled after Topsy, andgnawed at her brown feet, evidently recognising in her at once acompatriot and a tit-bit.
Well, well! _Il faut souffrire pour etre--celebre_! When supper-timearrived, and the lion's mask was removed, behold a countenance somagenta with heat that compared with it even the Letter Box herself waspale. The two sufferers were waited upon with the most assiduousattention, as was indeed only fair. When one has voluntarily endured acondition of semi-suffocation throughout an evening's "pleasuring" forthe unselfish reason of providing amusement for others, it's a poorthing if one cannot be assisted to lemonade in return.
The Lion sat up well into the night combing out her mane; the Letter Boxhad the first bad headache in her life, but both tumbled into bed atlast, proud and happy in the remembrance of an historic success.