Sally gazed enthralled,—held in a dream,—with a strange pain tugging at her heart.
The question of why, why, was she out of all these things to which her whole nature leaped as if they should be hers by right, was only kept down by the wonder and splendor of all she saw.
But she caught her breath in fresh admiration when her eye fell on her Fairy Prince.
He had been detained a few moments in the rooms below, and was directly on a line with her eyes when suddenly she beheld him for the first time in more than two years.
"Fairy Prince! Fairy Prince!" cried her heart and faintly cried her lips, and she knew it not when Master Clinton turned around from his bass viol, thinking he heard a strange sound. But he heeded not the rapt gaze of the maiden, for she sat quiet as any mousie while her eyes drank in the vision of her Fairy Prince.
His thick hair was lightly powdered and curled at the ends. A coat of blue velvet with silver braid and buttons of filagree,—or wrought openwork silver buttons,—fitted as if moulded to his tall, erect young figure. His waistcoat of cloth of gold had frills of rich lace at the front, according to the general fashion of the day, and also at the wrists. A flashing diamond on his finger sent out shoots of red, blue, and yellow light.
He wore knee-breeches of blue velvet with bands of silver braid and jewelled buckles at the knee. His long white silk stockings were clocked, or embroidered at the sides, while high-heeled, glittering dancing-pumps set off his highly arched feet.
Sally noted the grace with which he bowed to the ladies and the low curtseys they returned. The ease and fine manners charmed her.
"They are born to it! born to it!" sighed the poor young maiden.
When the dancing began, she still sat entranced, watching chiefly one tall, splendidly arrayed young man who kept perfect time to the music, which rose and fell with a beauty of sound that brought tears to the eyes of Maid Sally.