Maid Sally Part 18

Her bodice, or short waist, of pink velvet was laced over gauze puffings and ran down both in front and at the back into long points over an upper skirt of white lace figured all over with threads of gold. The overskirt of gauze and gold was looped high at the sides over a skirt or petticoat of white brocaded satin with a figure of pink roses. On cheek and chin were small black patches bringing out in vivid contrast the whiteness of her skin.

Her snowy neck and shoulders were bare, and a string of thick gold beads strung on a wire kept directly in the curve of her throat. Gold bracelets with sparkling gems were on her white arms, a spray of pink roses was against her bosom, and the feet that peeped plainly from beneath her skirt were in white laced shoes, with high heels and rosettes from which glistened the bright tints of pink stones.

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 ba.s.s 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 b.u.t.tons of filagree,--or wrought openwork silver b.u.t.tons,--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.

Master Sutcliff, seeing the intense delight on the face of the maiden, said within himself:

"She shall remain until it cometh time to serve the syllabubs, the cream froth and the nectars, then can she slip away without being seen."

It came all too soon, the pause in the merry dancing, for refreshments, when Master Sutcliff said, kindly:

"Now then, young friend, I fear me the time has come when you had best depart. I will go with you to the side door, so that none shall question or trouble you."

As they pa.s.sed a long room, he said, "Peep within a moment."

And Sally looked upon tables covered with all kinds of fancy dishes: there were froths, foamy custards, jellies she could almost see through, plum cakes, pound cakes, and the odor of strong, rich coffee, mingled with the scent of flowers.

Colored servants were moving to and fro with the slow step of the Southern waiter, and everything was orderly, abundant, and inviting.

Master Sutcliff said something to a man close at hand, and the next moment he was bidding Sally good night, at the same time he laid something on her arm.

"Merely a cheese-cake," he said, and in the soft moonlight Sally saw that she held a heart-shaped cake filled with currants, with thin spires of cocoanut and cheese standing thick all over the top.

She entered the house through the shed at the side, went to her cubby of a room, and sat down on the floor with her head against the bed.

"I am too happy to undress," she said, "or else too full of what I have seen. I must think it all right over."

And there she stayed the livelong night with her shawl about her.

When at last she fell asleep, she saw her Fairy Prince, in his velvet coat, his rich small-clothes and dancing-shoes, as large as life before her. The music of the violins with the deep note of the ba.s.s viol sounded almost as plainly in her ears as they had in the Hall of Burgesses.

But standing in the full light of the streaming candles was Rosamond Earlscourt, a lovely creature in silks and jewels, beckoning with an eager finger to the Fairy Prince.

Would he go? He had started toward her when his eye fell on a young maiden who was hiding midst the players on the platform.

This so alarmed the maid that she hid far behind Master Clinton's ba.s.s viol. But peeping around after a few moments, she saw the Fairy Prince was close at hand.

With a frightened jump she awoke. The sun was streaming into her little room.

"He was going to find me," said Maid Sally.

CHAPTER XVI.

"I CAN'T BUY TEA"

Although Sally had not slept until late the night of the ball, yet quite early she awoke the next morning, and, gathering the shawl closely about her, she began going over the fine sights and sounds, that had left a charm in her mind like unto a Fairy dream.

The longing in the maid's young heart for better things than those she had, fairly cried out within her, as she thought of the appearance and the graces of those high-born dames.

"I should have a better home," she said, glancing around her miserable room. "There must be ways in which I can raise myself. I am getting of an age to raise myself could I but see how to do it, yet I would wish to do nothing wrong."

"There can be no wrong in wishing to better your condition," said her Fairy; "you are no slave."

"Then I will watch for a chance," said Maid Sally.

"Do," said her Fairy.

In those days, Mistress Brace grumbled and scolded because she dared not buy tea. There was still a tax on it, and loyal colonists denied themselves tea sooner than pay the unjust tax.

But Mistress Brace had no great love of country, nor did she care anything about the matters that were stirring the people way down into their hearts and souls.

And so, after a time, she had grown tired and vexed at having to go without her tea. The only reason she had gone without it at all, was because the hired men--these were farmers who were hired by a planter--had said that it was known all over the place when any one bought an ounce of "the taxed stuff," and that whoever got it was set down as being a "Tory," which meant a person who favored England and the king rather than one's own country.

But there came a day not long after the ball, when Mistress Brace made up her mind that she would do without tea no longer. The hired men had put up with herb--they called it "yarb"--tea, made from herbs and mints, and had drunk it without complaint.

But the mistress thought they need know nothing about it if she bought a package for her own use. Goodman Chatfield, who sold dry-goods and haberdashery, or small wares, on one side of his store, and groceries on the other, would sell no tea at all; he was a true patriot, and "the taxed stuff" could not be found at his store.

But the "apothecary man" kept a little "for weak and sickly folk," and now Mistress Brace handed Sally some money as she said:

"Here's two and thri-pence, and you are to go to Doctor Hanc.o.c.ke's store and buy half a pound of tea."

"I can't buy tea," said Sally, drawing back her hand and not touching the money.

"You do as I tell you!" cried Mistress Brace, with fierceness in her tones. "If Doctor Hanc.o.c.ke says aught about it, tell him I am not well and must have a good sup of tea to hearten me."

"But you are well," replied Maid Sally, "and it would not be right, either that I should tell a lie or that I should buy tea with the king's tax upon it."