CHAPTER XXI.
"AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE."
It was the last night but one of the Prince's stay, and the Birthnight Ball, long after date, had been fixed for that evening. The occasion was to be one of unusual splendour.
Mrs. Valliant, in her rather shiny black moiré and a feathered cap, had been persuaded to emerge from her retirement and to chaperon Elsie. Not that there had been any difficulty in persuading her. She had always made it a point of duty to attend the "Queen's Birthday" Ball. At the other balls she had allowed Ina and Elsie to be chaperoned by any obliging neighbour, but upon this occasion she felt that loyalty demanded an effort, and moreover it was her only opportunity of witnessing her pretty daughter's triumph. She was a good deal assisted in the effort by Lord Horace's present of a lace shawl, which, as she said, made her look fit to stand even beside Lady Waveryng in all her diamonds. To-night she was in a state of feverish excitement, almost as great as that of Elsie herself, and her delicate face, which had the remains of Elsie's beauty, was flushed like a girl's, as she put the last touches to Elsie's hair and dress. Elsie's dress had been a present, too, from Lord Horace. It was white, and floated about her in fleecy clouds, the little satin bodice moulded to her pretty, slight figure, and great bunches of Cloth of Gold and La France roses at her breast and on her shoulders. There was a bouquet of roses, too, on the table, which she had made herself. Oddly enough Frank Hallett had sent her no bouquet this time. Perhaps he thought she should wear Blake's or Trant's; perhaps he remembered that she had once before discarded his for one that Blake had sent her. But Blake had sent her none now, and Trant had been called suddenly to Baròlin, and was hardly expected to be down in time for the ball, and so Elsie had been obliged to go herself to the curator of the Public Gardens and beg for the roses, which
