She was disappointed not to see Peter Pan, and I may as well tell you
now why he was so late that night. It was because his boat had got
wedged on the Serpentine between fields of floating ice, through which
he had to break a perilous passage with his trusty paddle.

The fairies had as yet scarcely missed him, for they could not dance,
so heavy were their hearts. They forget all the steps when they are
sad and remember them again when they are merry. David tells me that
fairies never say "We feel happy": what they say is, "We feel
_dancey_."

Well, they were looking very undancy indeed, when sudden laughter
broke out among the onlookers, caused by Brownie, who had just arrived
and was insisting on her right to be presented to the Duke.

Maimie craned forward eagerly to see how her friend fared, though she
had really no hope; no one seemed to have the least hope except
Brownie herself who, however, was absolutely confident. She was led
before his grace, and the doctor putting a finger carelessly on the
ducal heart, which for convenience sake was reached by a little
trap-door in his diamond shirt, had begun to say mechanically, "Cold,
qui--," when he stopped abruptly.

"What's this?" he cried, and first he shook the heart like a watch,
and then put his ear to it.

"Bless my soul!" cried the doctor, and by this time of course the
excitement among the spectators was tremendous, fairies fainting right
and left.