The sixth put on the stockings and slippers.
The seventh was very important and gave herself airs, for the nine lace petticoats were her concern.
The eighth Grand Duchess was Lady-In-Waiting-In-Charge-Of-The-Imperial-Hoops.
The ninth put on the little Princess the dress of satin and pearls, that glowed softly like moonlit drops of water.
And the tenth Grand Duchess, the oldest and ugliest and noblest and crossest and most respectful of them all, placed on the yellow head the little frosty crown of diamonds.
Then the Princess’s Father Confessor, a very noble Prince of the Church, dressed in violet from top to toe, came in between two little boys in lace, and said a long prayer in Latin. It was so long that, I am sorry to have to tell you, right in the middle the Princess yawned, so of course another long prayer had to be said to ask Heaven to overlook such shocking wickedness on the part of Her Highness.
Then the Chief-Steward-In-Attendance-On-The-Princess brought her breakfast—bread and milk in a silver porringer. The little Princess had hoped for strawberries, as it was her birthday, but the Chief Gardener was saving every strawberry in the Royal gardens for the great Birthday Banquet that was to be held that evening.
Then the little Princess went to say good morning to her Mother and Father, and this is the way she went.
First came two heralds in forest green, blowing on silver trumpets. Then came the Father Confessor and his little lace-covered boys. Then came the Ladies-In-Waiting in their bright brocades, with feathers in their powdered hair, and after each lady came a little black page to carry her handkerchief on a satin cushion. The ten pages of the Princess were next, and after them came the Royal Baby’s Own Regiment of Dragoons in white and scarlet. And last came four gigantic blacks wearing white loin cloths and enormous turbans of flamingo pink, and carrying a great canopy of cloth-of-silver fringed with pearls, and under this, very tiny, and looking, in her spreading gown, like a little white hollyhock out for a walk, came the Princess.
