But the verdict of the audience was voiced by a torrent of bravos and handclappings that thundered until La Favorita, having thrown a long mantle about her, came out into the glare of the footlights.

She bowed and kissed her hands, her smiles of acknowledgment sweeping the house from left to right, but at the box of the Sanseveros her smile faded, and she threw back her head with a movement of triumph.

Nina was startled into fancying that she looked long, directly, and particularly at her.

CHAPTER XII

A BALL AT COURT

The Sansevero party left the opera shortly after ten o’clock, and a little while later drove into the courtyard of the Quirinal.  Entering a side door, they ascended a long staircase, upon each step of which was stationed a royal cuirassier, all resplendent in embroidered coats, polished high boots, and veritable Greek helmets, which seemed to add still further to their unusual height.  Between their immovable ranks the guests thronged up the stairway to the Cuirassiers’ Hall.  Here, at the long benches provided for the purpose, they left their wraps in charge of innumerable flunkies in the royal livery—­which consists of a red coat, embroidered either in gold or in silver, powdered hair, blue plush breeches, and pink stockings.

Nina followed her aunt and uncle through an antechamber into the throne room and beyond again into the vast yellow sala di ballo.  Here also the cuirassiers, who were stationed everywhere, added a martial dignity to the splendor of the scene.  The people were all massed against the sides of the room; and although certain important personages had seats upon the long red silk benches placed in set rows, the great majority of those present stood, and stood, and stood.  In contrast to her weary waiting at the afternoon reception when, a few days before, she had been presented at court, Nina found so much to interest her to-night that she did not remark the time.  One side of the room was quite empty save for the big gilt chair reserved for the Queen, and the stools grouped around it for ladies in waiting.  Three especial stools were placed at the left of the queen for the three “collaresses”—­those whose husbands held the highest order in Italy, the Grand Collar of the Annunciation.

It was the most brilliant gathering that Nina had ever seen, chiefly made so by the gold-embroidered uniforms and court orders of the men.  The dresses and jewels of the women differed very little from those seen at social functions elsewhere.  With a rare exception, such as the Duchessa Astarte and the Princess Vessano, whose toilettes were the most chic imaginable, the great ladies of Italy followed fashions very little.  Not that Nina found them dowdy—­far from it:  they had a distinction of their own, which, like that of their ancient palaces, seemed to remain superior to modern decrees of fashion.  Nearly all of them had lovely figures, which they did not strive to force into newly prescribed outlines.