questions. The room
seemed filled with the odor of musk, attar of roses, and cologne,
flowers, and perfumes of many kinds.

There was the governor, brilliant as a king, in purple velvet coat, gold
lace, a white, flowered waistcoat with great frills of costly lace adown
the front and falling over his white hands.

Shining knee-buckles flashed back the light from hundreds of candles,
which caught also the light from gleaming stones in the buckles of his
high-heeled shoes. A man of fancy-fine appearance, but looked upon with
eyes that loved him not, but rather despised him.

The ladies were like Fairy dreams, in stiff, brocaded-silks, sheeny
satins, ribbons, lace, jewels, and necklaces of gold, amber, and
medallions--round stones with faces cut on them.

With dazzled eyes, Sally gazed upon the courtlike appearance of Sir
Percival Grandison, his wife, daughter, and niece. But her eyes lingered
long on the Lady Rosamond Earlscourt.

Never in her brightest visions had the poor maid watching from the
platform beheld such radiance. The powdered hair was cushioned high on
her head, and held between the puffs were white plumes and glossy
leaves, joined in loops of small gilt chains.

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