[Sidenote:  The Duchess’s Ball]

My white chiffon is as pretty as the tulle, and Octavia was quite pleased with me.  There were omnibuses and two broughams for us to go in.  Octavia took me with her alone in one.  I wanted to go in one of the omnibuses—­it looked so much gayer—­but she wouldn’t let me.  It is not much of a drive, as you know, and we all got there at the same time almost, and our party did look so smart as we came in.  Octavia sailed like a queen up the room to a carpeted raised place at the end, and there held a sort of court.

The Duchess of Glamorgan was already there with her three daughters, and their teeth stick out just like Mrs. Vavaseur’s; only they look ready to bite, and she was always smiling.  The men of their party were so young, and looked as if they would not hurt a fly, and the Duchess had me introduced to her and asked about you.  And Mrs. Pike tried to join in the conversation, and the Duchess fixed on her pince-nez and looked at her for quite ten seconds, and then said, when she had retired a little, “Who is this gorgeous person?” And when I said Mrs. Pike, she said, “I don’t remember the name,” in a tone that dismissed Mrs. Pike from the universe as far as she was concerned; and Jane Roose says she is almost the only Duchess who won’t know parvenues, and that is what makes her set so dull.

There were such a lot of funny frumpy people at the other end of the room—­“the rabble,” Mrs. Pike called them.  “Let us walk round and look at the rabble,” she said to Lord Doraine, who was standing by her.  And they went.

[Sidenote:  The Ride Home]

I had such lots of partners I don’t know what any one else did; I was enjoying myself so, and I hope you won’t be annoyed with me, as I am afraid I danced oftener than three times with Lord Valmond.  Mrs. Smith seemed to be with the little Duke a great deal, and she glared at me whenever she passed.  I like English balls much better than French, though, perhaps, I can’t judge, as I was never at a real one there.  But Englishmen are so much better-looking, and everybody doesn’t get so hot, and it is nice having places to sit out and talk without feeling you are doing something wrong.  Coming home, Octavia made Lady Doraine and Mrs. Pike go in her brougham, and she and I went in one of the omnibuses.  Lord Doraine sat between me and Octavia, and I suppose he was afraid of crushing her dress, for he positively squashed me, he sat so close.  Lord Valmond was at the other side of me, and somebody must have been pushing him, because he sat even nearer me than Lord Doraine, and between them I could hardly breathe; it was fortunate it was a cold night.