CHAPTER VII
FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY
Sarah was indeed an expert hair-dresser, and she piled up Patty's hair insoft coils, and twisted the curly tendrils into fluffy puffs, and thoughthe result was beautiful, it made Patty look like her own older sister. Ajewelled ornament of Lady Hamilton's crowned the coiffure, and this gavean added effect of dignity. The lace gown was easily made to fit its newwearer. Marie pinned it, and sewed it, and patted it into place, tillnobody would suspect it had not been made for Patty. But the long linesof the Princess pattern took away all of Patty's usual simple girlishappearance, and transformed her at once into a beautiful, queenly youngwoman. The decolletee corsage, and the sleeves, which were merelyfrills of lace, were very becoming; and the long train, which billowedinto a frou-frou of chiffon ruffles took away the last semblance of agirl of eighteen. Notwithstanding her softly-curved cheeks and throat,and her exquisite, fresh complexion, Patty looked quite the young womanof society and could easily have been adjudged about twenty-four yearsold.
Her eyes danced, as she walked sedately through the open door and intoLady Hamilton's room.
"My word, Patty!" exclaimed that lady, "you're simply stunning in thatgown! You look as if you'd been 'out' for two or three seasons. Yourpeople would never forgive me if they knew how I've dressed you up."
"It was the only thing to do," said Patty, airily, as she began to drawon her arms a pair of Lady Hamilton's long white gloves. "The wonder isthat you had plenty of all sorts of things to fit me out, and also thatthey do fit so well. These gloves are just right, though I confess theslippers pinch me just a speck."
"'Pretty never hurts,' you know," said Lady Hamilton, laughing. "Marie,isn't Miss Fairfield a picture?"
"_Mais oui!_ She is _charmante_. It is amazing how the gown suits her.She is _tres-belle!_"
With the grown-up clothes, Patty had quite unconsciously assumed agrown-up air. She nonchalantly flung aside her train with just the samegesture Lady Hamilton was wont to use, and she carried herself with adignity and graciousness of manner which would have been absurd whenwearing her own simple frocks.
"Marie pinned it and sewed it"]
"Gracious, goodness, child!" cried Lady Hamilton. "Come down off thatpedestal! You walk like a Duchess. It won't do, you know, really."
"I don't mean to," said Patty; "you know I'm a sort of chameleon. Thisgown makes me feel as if I belonged in an opera-box, or had an audiencewith the Queen."
"Oh, you goose! Stop your nonsense, and we'll go down to dinner. Mind,now, none of those airs, or I'll send you back to your room."
Patty honestly tried to be her own simple-minded self, and would havesucceeded all right, if Herenden Hall had not been so lavishly providedwith mirrors. On the grand staircase she came face to face with a radiantcreature, and was about to step aside when she discovered it was herself!Involuntarily she gazed at the reflection of the white-gowned lady, andunconsciously an air of serenity, almost hauteur, replaced her usualmerry smile, and with a gracious mien she passed on down the stairs.
Lady Herenden awaited them in the drawing-room.
A brilliant assemblage was already there, for Patty's unusual costuminghad caused her some delay. After the first few introductions, LadyHamilton and Patty became separated, and the guests stood aboutconversing in small groups.
Patty chanced to fall in with some very entertaining people, among whomwas the Earl of Ruthven.
The Earl was a handsome man, tall, and of an imposing presence.
When presented to Patty, he gazed at her with frank, though quitedeferential admiration. "So pleased to meet you, Miss Fairfield," hesaid; "I adore American ladies."
Patty really felt a little in awe of an Earl, as she had never met onebefore, and was about to make a shy response, when a slight movement ofher head showed her her own reflection in a nearby mirror.
Realising afresh that she was masquerading as a society lady, a spirit ofmischief suddenly took possession of her, and she determined to throwherself into the role. So, with a pretty little toss of her head, and acharming smile, she said:
"Thank you, Lord Ruthven; I adore Englishmen, too, but I know so few ofthem."
"You've not been here long, then?"
"No, only a few weeks. And there's so much I want to learn."
"Let me teach you," said his Lordship, eagerly. "I do not think you wouldprove a dull pupil."
Patty's eyes smiled. "No Americans are dull," she said.
"That's true; my experience has already proved it. I've met six, I think,including yourself. But what sort of things do you want to learn?"
"The language, principally. I just want to learn to say 'only fancy'occasionally, and 'd'y' see?' in the middle of every sentence."
"It's not easy," said Lord Ruthven, thoughtfully, "but I think I canteach you in, say, about ten lessons. When shall we begin the course?"
Patty looked at him reproachfully. "If you knew the American nature atall," she said, "you'd know that we always begin things the moment theplan occurs to us."
"Good! there's no time like the present."
But just then their conversation was interrupted by the announcement ofdinner.
Patty hoped she would sit at table next the Earl, but it was not so. Thenobleman was accorded the seat of honour at the right of his hostess,while Patty, as a minor guest, was far away across the table. But shefound herself between two affable and pleasant-mannered young Englishmen,and instantly forgot all about her titled friend.
Indeed, the bewildering beauty of the scene claimed her attention, andshe fairly held her breath as she looked about her. The great oval roomwas lighted only by wax candles in crystal chandeliers and candelabra.This made a soft, mellow radiance quite different from gas orelectricity. On one side of the room long French windows opened on to theterrace, through which came the scent of roses and the sound of plashingfountains. On the other side, only slender pillars and arches divided thedining-room from a conservatory, and a riotous tangle of blossoms andfoliage fairly spilled into the room, forming almost a cascade offlowers.
The great round table was a bewildering array of gold plate, gildedglass, and exquisite china, while on the delicate lace of the tableclothlay rare blossoms that seemed to have drifted from the circular mound offlowers which formed the low centrepiece.
Twenty-four guests sat round the board, in chairs of gilded wicker, andas the silent, black-garbed waiters served the viands, the scene becameas animated as it was beautiful.
Patty forgot all else in her absolute enjoyment of the fairy-likespectacle, and was only brought back to a sense of reality by the soundof a voice at her side. Mr. Merivale was speaking--the young man who hadescorted her out to dinner, and who now sat at her right hand.
"You love beauty of detail," he was saying as he noted Patty'sabsorption.
"Oh, isn't it great!" she exclaimed, and then suddenly realised that theexpression was not at all in keeping with the dignity of her Princessgown.
But Mr. Merivale seemed amused rather than shocked.
"That's American for 'ripping,' isn't it?" he said, smiling. "Butwhatever the adjective, the fact is the same. Lady Herenden's dinners arealways the refinement of the spectacular."
Patty realised the appropriateness of this phrase, and cudgelled herbrain for an appropriate reply. She began to think that playing grown-upwas a more difficult game than she had supposed. Had she had on her ownsimple little frock, Mr. Merivale would not have talked to her like that.
"Don't you remember last season," he went on, "when Lady Herenden had areal pond, with gold fish in the middle of the table, and ferns and waterlilies round the edge?"
"I wasn't here last season," said Patty. "I have never been in Englanduntil this summer."
"Indeed? I know you are an American, but you have really an Englishmanner."
"It's acquired," said Patty, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Ifind my American manner isn't admired over here, so I assume Londonairs."
"Ah,
you wish to be admired?"
"Of all things!" declared naughty Patty, with a roguish glance at thejesting young man.
"You'll probably get your wish," he replied. "I'm jolly well ready to domy share."
This brought the colour to Patty's cheeks, and she turned slightly away,toward the man on her other side.
He was a slightly older man than Mr. Merivale and was the squire of anadjoining estate. He was quite ready to talk to his American neighbour,and began the conversation by asking her if she had yet seen LadyHerenden's rose-orchard.
"No, Mr. Snowden," said Patty, "I only arrived a few hours ago, and I'venot been round the place at all."
"Then let me show it to you, please. I'll come over to-morrow morning fora stroll. May I?"
"I don't know," said Patty, hesitatingly, for she was uncertain what sheought to do in the matter. "You see, I'm with Lady Hamilton, and whatevershe says----"
"Oh, nonsense! She'll spare you from her side for an hour or two. There'sreally a lot to see."
Again poor Patty realised her anomalous position. But for her piled-uphair and her trained gown, the man would never have dreamed of asking herto go for a walk unchaperoned. Patty had learned the ethics of Londonetiquette for girls of eighteen, but she was not versed in the ways ofolder young women.
"We'll see about it," she said, non-committally, and then she almostlaughed outright at the sudden thought of Mr. Snowden's surprise shouldhe see her next day in one of her own simple morning frocks of lightmuslin. Lady Hamilton's morning gowns were Paris affairs, with trailingfrills and long knotted ribbons.
"It seems to amuse you," said Mr. Snowden, a trifle piqued at hermerriment.
"You'll be amused, too," she said, "if you see me to-morrow."
Then something in the man's pleasant face seemed to invite confidence,and she said, impulsively:
"I may as well tell you that I'm masquerading. I'm not a grown-up lady atall. I'm not much more than a schoolgirl--not quite eighteen years old.But--but my box didn't come, and--and I had to wear Lady Hamilton's gown.It makes me seem a lot older, I know, but I had to do it, or stay awayfrom dinner."
Mr. Snowden looked first amazed, and then he burst into laughter.
"I beg your pardon, I'm sure," he said, "but I had no idea! And so LadyHamilton is your chaperon? I see. Of course. Well, we'll have the strolljust the same, if you will, and we'll ask her to go with us."
"Isn't she the dearest thing?" exclaimed Patty, looking at Lady Kittyacross the table, and feeling much more at her ease now that she hadconfessed her position.
"She is a beautiful and charming woman," agreed Mr. Snowden.
And then it was time for Patty to turn back to Mr. Merivale, for she hadlearned that one must divide the time fairly between dinner neighbors.
"I didn't offend you, did I?" said young Merivale, eagerly. "You turnedso quickly--and--and you--er--blushed, you know, and so I wasafraid--er----"
But Patty was of no mind to confess the fewness of her years toeverybody, and her mischievous spirit returned as she determined to chaffthis amusing young man.
"What!" she said, reproachfully, "an Englishman, and afraid!"
"Afraid of nothing but a fair lady's displeasure. All true Englishmensurrender to that."
"I'm not displeased," said Patty, dimpling and smiling; "in fact, I'veeven forgotten what you said."
"That's good! Now we can start fresh. Will you save a lot of dances forme to-night?"
"Oh, will there be dancing?" exclaimed Patty, delighted at the prospect.
"Yes, indeed; in the big ballroom. Will you give me all the waltzes?"
Patty looked at him in amazement. "You said you were going to 'startfresh,'" she said, "and now you've certainly done so!"
But the American phrase was lost on the Englishman, who only proceeded torepeat his request.
Meantime, Mr. Snowden was asking Patty for a dance.
"Certainly," she said, "I shall be pleased to dance with you."
"You'll give me more than one dance or you needn't give me any," grumbledyoung Merivale.
"All right," said Patty, quickly. "Mr. Snowden, I've just had a dance'returned with thanks,' so you can have that, if you wish it."
"I do indeed," he replied, enthusiastically, and Mr. Merivale relapsedinto a sulky silence.
Then Lady Herenden rose from the table, and the ladies all rose andfollowed her up to one of the beautiful salons, where coffee was servedto them. Patty managed to secure a seat on a divan beside Lady Hamilton.
"You quite take my breath away, little Patty," said her friend, in a lowvoice. "You are already a favourite, and in a fair way to become thebelle of the ball."
"I try not to act too old, Kitty," said Patty, earnestly, "but trulyeverybody thinks I'm a society lady. They don't even look on me as adebutante."
"Never mind, dearie; have all the fun you can. Enjoy the dancing, anddon't care what anybody thinks."
Encouraged by Lady Hamilton's approval, Patty ceased to think about herdemeanour and proceeded to enjoy the conversation of those about her.
Lady Herenden was especially kind to her, and singled out the youngAmerican for her special favour and attention.