Melbourne House Part 128

"But soapbubbles are not that colour," said Daisy. "Your cheeks didn't look like soapbubbles."

"Yes, they did. They looked horrid, I know."

"But the picture is so," urged Daisy, quietly. "You want to be like the picture."

"No, I don't. Not that picture. I would like to be something handsome. I don't like that picture."

Daisy was silent, and Nora pouted.

"What are you going to be, Daisy?" said Ella Stanfield.

"I am going to be Priscilla. No, I don't know whether I am or not; but I am going to be Fort.i.tude, I believe."

"That's pretty," said Ella. "What else? Oh, you are going to be the angel, aren't you? I wonder if that will be pretty. It will be queer. Nora, shall you like to be one of the little princes in the Tower? with that feather-bed coming over us?

But we shall not see it, I suppose, because our eyes have got to be shut; but I shall be afraid every minute they will let it fall on us."

"My eyes won't be shut," said Nora.

"Oh, they must. You know, the little princes were asleep, when the men came to kill them. Your eyes must be shut and you must be asleep. Oh, what are they doing to Theresa?"

"Dressing her ?" said Daisy.

"What is she going to be?"

"Portia ?" said Daisy.

"Isn't that beautiful! ?" said Nora, with a deep breath. "Oh, what a splendid dress! How rich-looking it is. What a lovely purple. Oh, how beautiful Theresa is in it. Oh! Isn't that splen ? did?"

A very prolonged, though low, breath of admiring wonder testified to the impressive power, upon the children at least, of Theresa's new habiliments. The purple brocade was upon her; its full draperies swept the ground in gorgeous colouring; a necklace of cameos was bound with great effect upon her hair; and on the arms, which were half bare, Mrs. Sandford was clasping gold and glittering jewels. Theresa threw herself slightly back in her prescribed att.i.tude, laid her arms lightly across each other, and turned her head with a very saucy air towards the companion figure, supposed to be Ba.s.sanio. All the others laughed and clapped her.

"Not that, Theresa, not that; you have got the wrong picture.

You are going with the Prince of Arragon now, to the caskets; and you ought to be anxiously asking Ba.s.sanio about his letter."

Theresa changed att.i.tude and expression on the instant; bent slightly forward, lost her sauciness, and laid her hand upon Ba.s.sanio's arm with a grave, tender look of inquiry. They all shouted again.

"Bravo, Theresa! capital!" said Preston.

"Hamilton, can you act up to that?" said Mrs. Sandford.

"Wait till I get my robes on, ma'am. I can make believe a great deal easier when I am under the persuasion that it is not me ? Hamilton Rush."

"I'd like to see Frederica do as well as that," said Alexander Fish, in a fit of brotherly concern.

"Let us try her ?" said good-natured Mrs. Sandford. Mrs.

Sandford certainly was good-natured, for she had all the dressing to do. She did it well, and very patiently.

"There," said Nora, when Ella had left the couch to go to her sister, ? "that is what I like. Didn't she look beautiful, Daisy?"

"Her dress looked beautiful ?" said Daisy.

"Well, of course; and that made _her_ look beautiful. Daisy, I wish I could have a nice part. I would like to be the queen in that fainting picture."

"You are going to be in that picture."

"But, I mean, I would like to be the queen. She will have the best dress, won't she?"

"I suppose she will be the most dressed," said Daisy.

"I don't want to be one of the women ? I want to be the queen.

Hamilton Rush said I would be the best one for it, because she was a Jewess; and I am the only one that has got black eyes and hair."

"But her eyes will not be seen," said Daisy. "She is fainting.

When people faint, they keep their eyes shut."

"Yes, but I am the only one that has got black hair. That will show. Her hair ought to be black."

"Why, will not other hair do just as well?" said Daisy.

"Why, because she was a Jewess."

"Do Jewesses always have black hair?"

"Of course they _ought_ to have black hair," said Nora; "or Hamilton Rush would not have said that. And my hair is black."

Daisy was silent. She said nothing to this proposition. The children were both silenced for a little while the practising for "Marie Antoinette" was going on. The princ.i.p.al part in this was taken by Frederica, who was the beauty of the company. A few touches of Mrs. Sandford's skilful hands transformed her appearance wonderfully. She put on an old- fas.h.i.+oned straight gown, which hung in limp folds around her; and Mrs. Sandford arranged a white handkerchief over her breast, tying it in the very same careless loose knot represented in the picture; but her management of Frederica's hair was the best thing. Its soft fair luxuriance was, no one could tell how, made to a.s.sume the half-dressed, half- undressed air of the head in Delaroche's picture; and Frederica looked the part well.

"She should throw her head a little more back," ? whispered Hamilton Rush to the manager; ? "her head or her shoulders.

She is not quite indignant enough."

"That handkerchief in her hand is not right ?" said Preston, in a responding whisper. "You see to it ? while I get into disguise.

"That handkerchief, Mrs. Sandford ?" Hamilton said, softly.

"Yes. ? Frederica, your hand with the pocket-handkerchief, ?

it is not quite the thing."

"Why not?"

"You hold it like a New York lady."

"How _should_ I hold it?"

"Like a French queen, whose Austrian fingers may hold anything any way." This was Hamilton's dictum.

"But how _do_ I hold it?"

"You have picked it up in the middle, and show all the flower work in the corners."

"You hold it too daintily, Frederica," said Theresa. "You must grasp it ? grasp it loosely ? but as the distinguished critic who has last spoken has observed."