PLAYING WITH FIRECHAPTER XPLAYING WITH FIRE
PLAYING WITH FIRE
I havenow something more than a narrow escape to relate; for though I did really escape, yet it was not without a dreadful accident, and some injury. It was also the occasion of my changing my place of residence and style of living. All, however, shall be told in proper order.
Lady Flora, having learned my name from the address of the letter I had received, took a sudden fancy to have it engraved upon a little gold bracelet.When the bracelet was sent home she fastened it upon my wrist, but it dropped off once or twice, being rather too large, so we drove to the jeweller’s house, which was near Charing Cross, and there it was fastened to my wrist by rivets, so that it could not be taken off at all. This was what Lady Flora desired.
On returning through the Haymarket my mamma recollected, as we passed the Opera House, that she had still never seen the dancing there, on account of her sleeping; and at the same time I, for my part, only recollected my narrow escape. But the loss of the opera dancing made Lady Flora only think the more about it, and about dancing; and when we arrived at home she ran to her mamma, and begged to be taken to Willis’s Room—in fact, she wanted to dance herself at ‘Almack’s,’ and to take me with her, as no doubt there would be many other dolls in the room, with whom, after mutual satisfactory introductions, I could associate.
Lady Flowerdale said she was afraid that Lady Flora, being not yet nine years of age, was too young to be taken to ‘Almack’s’; she could, however, take her to the Duchess of Guineahen’s ball, which was to be given next month. This greatly pleased Flora, and meantime she resolved to take an extra lesson in dancing of Madame Michaud, in order to be the better prepared for the ball.
I was present at all the lessons of dancing, and saw Madame Michaud seated with her gold snuff-box, tapping upon the lid to keep time, and taking an immense pinch of snuff when Lady Flora danced well, and a still more immense pinch when she danced badly, besides scolding the young man who played the violin, as if it had been his fault.
Another thing, however, and a still more important one, was to be done, before this ball occurred, and this was to get ready the ball-dresses. A message was immediately sent to a celebrated millinerin Piccadilly, to come immediately and take orders for ball-dresses, for Lady Flora and her doll.
During all the time these dresses were being made, my mamma was so impatient and restless that it was quite an unhappiness to see her. I often thought what a pity it was she had not learned to make dresses herself, her mind would then have been employed, and she would have been so much more comfortable. Oh, how different was the happy day I spent among the poor little milliners when Ellen Plummy and Nanny Bell sat under the tent made of a sheet, to make me a frock and trousers! How happy were they over the work, and how impatient and cross was Lady Flora, who had no work to do! Her mind was so disturbed that she was quite unable to attend to any of her lessons; she insisted, however, upon her governess giving me lessons instead, by placing the pen in my hand, and directing it till I had copied several pages of a book.By this means I learned to write,—the governess was employed,—and my mamma said it was the same as if she took her usual lessons.
At last the dresses came home. They were beautiful, and both exactly alike. They were made of the thinnest white gauze, to be worn over very full petticoats of the same white gauze; so that they set out very much, and looked very soft and fleecy. They were trimmed with an imitation of lily of the valley, made in white satin and silver. The trousers were of white satin, trimmed with gauze.
Now there was such a trying on and changing, and proposals for alterations, and sending all back to the milliner’s, and having all back again two hours afterwards, to try on once more in case they really did not need alteration.
The day of the ball was rather cold and windy; so that, although it was the month of August, a fire was ordered in thenursery, and in Lady Flora’s bedroom, lest she might take cold. Towards evening the dresses were all laid out ready to put on; but when my mamma saw them, she could not wait, and insisted upon being dressed, although it was five hours before the time. In two hours and a half she was ready; and then I was dressed, which occupied an hour more. Still there was a long time to wait; so Lady Flora took me in her arms, and began to dance from room to room,—that is, from the nursery to her bedroom, from one fireplace to the other. In doing this she observed that each time she turned, her full, gauze frock gave the fire a puff, so that a blaze came; and as she was amused by it, she went each time nearer, and whisked round quicker in order to make the blaze greater. ‘Oh, Lady Flora!’ cried her maid, ‘pray take care of your dress; you go too near; wait till I run and fetch the fire-guards.’
Away ran the maid to fetch the fire-guards;and while she was gone Lady Flora determined to dance for the last time still nearer than ever to each fire before she whisked round. The very next time she did it she went just the least bit too near; the hem of her frock whisked against the bars—and her frock was in a blaze in a moment!
She gave a loud scream and a jump, and was going to run, when most fortunately her foot caught one corner of a thick rug, and down she fell. This smothered the blaze, but still her clothes were on fire; and she lay shrieking and rolling and writhing on the floor.
Up ran the nursery maid, and when she saw what had happened, she began screaming too—and up ran the page, and when he saw what had happened he fell down upon his face with fear and confusion—and up ran the very tall footman, and the instant he looked into the room, and smelled the fire, he ran away again as fast as possible—and then up ran thecountess herself, and she ran straight to her child, and rolled the thick rug all round her, and carried her in her arms to her own room.
Physicians and surgeons were sent for, and all the burned things were taken off, and thrown on one side. Among these I lay; my beautiful dress was all black tinder; but I was not really much burned, nor was Lady Flora. A few weeks might cure her, though the scars would always remain, and spoil her prettiness; but what could cure me? I was so scorched and frizzled that the paint which was on my skin had blistered and peeled off. I was quite black. No notice was taken of me; and in the confusion I was carried out of the room, with the rest of the burned rags, and thrown by one of the servants, in her haste, out of a back window.
How I escaped utter destruction, in this dreadful fall, I cannot think; unless it was owing to my being wrapped all round in singed clothes, so that I fell softly. I hadnearly fainted with fear, when the flames first caught my dress; but when the housemaid threw open the window to fling me out, my senses utterly forsook me.
I fell over a low wall, into a passage leading towards some stables. In the course of a few minutes I recovered my sense, but only to experience fresh alarm! A fine large Newfoundland dog, who was just passing, thought somebody had thrown him a broiled bone; so he caught me up in his mouth, and away he ran with me, wagging his tail.