And failing the queen’s presence, the queen’s sons were objects of absorbing interest.
“Neither Victoria nor any of the princesses are here,” said Anna, lowering her glass with a look of disappointment.
“The queen nor the princesses ever come to the Derby. You may see them at the Ascot Races, however, which are considered more aristocratic, though very much less famous and popular than these,” replied Mr. Spencer, who had left his seat in the gig to come and stand beside General Lyon’s barouche and talk to the young people.
Anna next criticized the splendid dresses of the ladies who filled the open carriages on this hill; and for no occasion do ladies dress more splendidly than for the Derby Day.
“Good gracious! Half the milliners and jewelers’ establishments in London and Paris must be emptied of their contents,” she exclaimed, as her eyes roved over the various and dazzling display.
Out from the seething mass of humanity on the heath below came other individual pictures. Here and there a poor little pale, hollow-cheeked boy creeping feebly along and peering hungrily about for stray crusts and bones, or apple parings, and orange peel, dropped from the luncheon hamper of some prosperous feeder; now and then some grandly beautiful woman whose flaunting dress and insolent air proclaimed her a very far fallen angel; here and there some sunny-eyed child of Italy picking up a few pennies by singing the “wild songs of his dear native land,” and everywhere a leather-visaged gipsy crone trying to improve her own fortunes by telling other people’s; everywhere professors of all sorts of irregular arts and sciences; everywhere traders in all kinds of contraband goods and chattels; and everywhere were the “efficient police force” trying very successfully not to keep order; trying very hard not to interfere with the lawful or unlawful practices of the poor, on this one gracious day of their license and their happiness. A pickpocket, if detected, would be arrested, of course; but as for the rest, gipsies might tell fortunes, and beggars beg, and starving little children pilfer, with none to punish them less merciful than the All-Father.
There was so much to see! such an infinite variety of life! The Derby race, though the greatest feature of the day, was not a thousandth part of the sights. If no race had come off, the assembly itself was well worth coming to see, and sitting through a whole day to study.
Anna, Drusilla and General Lyon, were well content to occupy their seats and spend their time in calmly contemplating the scene before them.
But the three young men, Dick, Spencer and Tredegar, wished to mingle with the active life below, and so, making an excuse to go and get cards of the race they bowed and left the hill and soon disappeared in the crowd on the heath.
Many other gentlemen who were in attendance upon the ladies on the hill, also left their carriages and went down; others who had been down were now coming up;—so that there was a continual moving about of foot-passengers.