Then she hastened the time of the music and the Birds descended towards her, and circled around her head, like a kind of living coronet.... She constantly altered the measure of the music, and the Birds who were familiar with it formed new figures—all of them most beautiful; and one might have imagined the lovely Bird Charmer to be a Queen of Air!
And when the flute ceased Miss Circé's gay little friends went joyously back into their Cage, and the delighted audience applauded with enthusiasm.
Where the Cage had stood they now brought in and set up a large platform, on which Miss Sarah Skipton mounted, dressed in a very full gown of thin, light material, made with an extraordinary number of flounces or plaits; her beautiful golden hair floated over her shoulders. Then the lights were put out: only four great lamps, or rather lanterns, were left, which shed their rays directly onto the platform, surrounding Miss Sarah with a luminous aureole. Then they passed before the lanterns coloured glasses, and among these reflections, which changed each instant, Sarah danced.... She danced quick and light, or slow and languid; her dress whirled around her, and grew red—green—yellow—and violet in turn—and sometimes all the colours of the rainbow at once. She seemed a flower—a butterfly—a bird; she was the dawn; she was the twilight; she was the storm, with flashes of lightning; she was the waves of the sea, smiling in the morning light; she was precious stones—and last of all—the glorious triumphant Sun!... And suddenly all the lights were turned on, and Sarah received the acclamations of the Audience in triumph!
The performance was over. I modestly retired to my stable, quite dazzled by the "Dance of Light."
[CHAPTER XXVIII]
COMEDIAN
Soon a new announcement could be read on the bills of the "Circus of the Two Worlds."