She had invited the neighbouring gentry, both young and old, as was her custom on Jour de L"AN, and, as she explained, she was making it "more of an elaborateness" this year by asking her guests to come in fancy costumes.
This delighted the girls, for they all loved dressing up, but they had no notion where their fancy costumes were to come from.
But Ma"amselle replied, "It is arranged," and during the afternoon she led them to a large apartment which she called the Room of the Robes.
Here she displayed to the enraptured girls costume after costume of wonderful beauty and magnificence.
The Labesse line had been a long one, and apparently its ladies had never worn out or given away any of their robes. Nor its men either, for there were costumes of knights and courtiers, some of which would surely fit the three young men at present under the Chateau roof.
The girls were bewildered at the maze of costumes, and scarcely knew which to select.
Finally Patty chose a bewitching Watteau affair, with a short quilted petticoat, and a looped overdress made of the daintiest flowered silk imaginable. The petticoat was of white satin, and the overdress of palest blue, with garlands of pink roses. The pointed bodice laced up over a dainty neckerchief, and it was further adorned with borders of pearls.
Rosamond pounced upon a scarlet and gold brocade, which she declared was her ideal of a perfect gown.
Elise found a pink brocatelle, embroidered with silver, and after they had selected head-dresses, fans, and many accessories to their costumes, they scurried away to their own rooms to try them on.
"Aren"t we having the time of our life?" exclaimed Rosamond, as she peac.o.c.ked about, gazing over her shoulder at her long court train.
"Yes, indeed," said Patty, with a little sigh of content; "I adore this dressing-up performance, and really, girls, those boys are quite human under their French polish."
"They"re not so bad," said Elise, "if only they wouldn"t bow so often, and so exactly like dancing masters."
"Well, it"s all fun," said Patty, "and I"m going to get that awfully nice Francoise to do my hair. She can make it just like an old French picture. Would you powder it?"
"No," said Elise, after a moment"s consideration; "the powder shakes off all over everything and you can"t make it really white, anyway; and besides, Patty, your hair is too pretty a colour to disguise with powder."
"Thank you for the compliment, Elise, though a little belated; all right, then, I"ll leave my tow-coloured tresses their natural shade, and decorate them with strings of pearls and light blue ostrich tips."
The pearls and feathers and the manipulations of Franchise"s artistic fingers transformed Patty"s head into the semblance of an old French miniature, and even Patty herself cast an approving glance at the pretty reflection in the gilt-framed mirror.
The girls were wild with enthusiasm over Patty"s appearance, though truth to tell, their own effects were scarcely less picturesque.
But Patty"s style lent itself peculiarly well to the Watteau dress, and her little feet with their dainty silk stockings and high-heeled paste-buckled slippers twinkled beneath the quilted petticoat with all the grace of a real Watteau picture.
When they were ready, they walked down stairs, single file, with great pomp and dignity, to find awaiting them three polished young courtiers, who might have belonged to the Court of Versailles.
Ma"amselle herself was scarcely disguised, for in her ordinary costume she never strayed very far from the styles and materials of her beloved ancestors.
But she had on a royal robe, with a great jewelled collar, and strings of gems depending from her throat. She wore a coronet that had belonged to some of the ladies of her family, and she seemed more than ever a chatelaine of a bygone day.
The rooms were decorated with flowers and plants, in honour of the occasion, and hundreds of wax lights added to the brilliancy of the scene.
An orchestra of stringed instruments played delightful music, and Patty tried to forget entirely that she lived in the twentieth century, and pretended that time had been turned back many, many years.
The guests began to arrive, and though their costumes were of great variety, they were nearly all of French effects, and quite in harmony with the scene. Patty did not seem to care much to converse, or even to dance, but wandered around in a blissful state, enjoying the picturesque scene.
"Probably I shall never see anything like this again," she thought to herself, "and I just want to gaze at it until it is photographed on my mind forever. Oh, won"t it be fun to tell Nan and papa about it!"
Just then she saw Henri Labesse approaching her.
"I fear I shall be awkward, Mademoiselle," he said, glancing at his arm in a sling, "but if you would forgive, and dance with me just once?"
"Of course I will," said Patty, her kind heart full of sympathy for the poor fellow. "We can manage quite nicely, I"m sure."
Henri put his good arm round Patty"s waist, and lightly laying her hand on his shoulder, they glided away. Like most Frenchmen, young Labesse was a perfect dancer, and as Patty was skilled in the art, they danced beautifully together and seemed to be in no way impeded by the young man"s broken arm.
"What a dance!" exclaimed Patty, as the music stopped; "I never met any one who dances as well as you do. If you dance like that with one arm, what would do with two?"
"All the merit of my dancing was due to my partner," said Henri, with one of his best bows, "you are like a fluff of thistledown, or a will o" the wisp. Forgive me, but I had imagined that American ladies danced like--like automobiles."
Patty laughed. "If you hadn"t already paid me such a pretty compliment," she said, "I should be angry with you for that speech. But if you wish to know the truth of the matter, go and dance with Elise and Rosamond, and then come back and tell me what you think of American dancing."
Henri went away obediently, leaving Patty to decide among the group of partners who were begging her for a dance.
Later on Henri returned. "You are right," he said gravely; "the American demoiselles are, indeed, divine dancers; but, may I say it?
they are yet not like you. Will you not give me one more turn, and then I must dance no more to-night; my aunt forbids it, on the absurd score that I"m an invalid."
Willingly, Patty danced again with the young man, and as this time it was a fancy dance, the exquisite grace of the couple soon attracted the attention of the onlookers. One by one the other couples ceased dancing, until at last Patty and Henri were alone upon the waxed floor, while the others looked admiringly on. Inspired by the moment, Patty indulged in some fancy steps, which were quickly understood and repeated by Henri, and depending on a whispered word now and then for direction, they advanced and retreated, bowed and cha.s.seed in an elaborate and exquisite minuet.
Henri"s disabled arm, so far from being an obstacle to his grace, seemed to lend a certain quaint dignity to his movements, and in his court dress he looked like a wounded knight who had returned triumphant from the tourney, to dance with his fair lady.
Great applause followed the final figure of their dance, and Henri led pretty Patty, blushing with the honours heaped upon her, to his aunt.
The old Ma"amselle kissed her dear little friend, and the tears in her eyes told Patty how much she had enjoyed the scene.
Then came the feast, which was all gaiety and merriment, and finally, by general acclamation, Patty was about to be crowned Queen of the New Year.
This, however, she would not allow, and taking the crown which was offered her, she went over and placed it on the white hair of her hostess, remarking that Ma"amselle was queen, and she herself the first lady in waiting.
The picture of pretty Patty as she stood by the side of the regal old lady, who sat, crowned, in her own chair of state, was worthy of a painter, and many who saw it wished it might have been transferred to canvas.
The festival broke up early, for the old Ma"amselle would not allow late hours for her children, and as soon as the last guest was gone she sent them scampering to bed, with strict injunctions for them not to reappear until noon the next day.
The next day was ushered in by a dismal, pouring rain, and certain outdoor pleasures which were planned for the afternoon had to be given up.
"But I"ll tell you what we will do," announced Patty as they gathered in the great hall after luncheon, "we"ll have an afternoon of American fun, and we"ll show you French boys some tricks you never saw before."
Having asked permission from Ma"amselle, who would not have refused her had she asked to build a bonfire on the drawing-room carpet, Patty took her friends to the kitchen.
The fat old chef was amazed, but greatly pleased that the American demoiselles should honour his precincts, and he put himself, his a.s.sistants and all his pantries at their service.
"First," said Patty, "we"re going to have a candy pull."
The French boys had no notion what a candy pull might be, but they were more than willing to learn.
A difficulty arose, however, when Patty undertook to explain to old Cesar, the CHEF, that she wanted mola.s.ses. She didn"t know the French word for mola.s.ses, and when she tried SIROP, Cesar affably flew around and brought her such a variety of SIROPS that she was overwhelmed. Nor were they of any use to her, for they were merely sweet essences of various fruits, and nothing like good old New Orleans mola.s.ses.
Cesar was desolate that he could not please Patty, and berated his a.s.sistants down to the scullion for not knowing what the American young lady wanted.