sparkling eyes, sank into a chair, exclaiming: "The new dance is
delightful, Jane. It is like flying; your partner helps you so. But
what would the king say? And the queen? She would simply swoon with
horror. It is delightful, though." Then, with more confusion in her
manner than I had ever before seen: "That is, it is delightful if one
chooses her partner."

This only made matters worse, and gave Brandon an opportunity.

"Dare I hope?" he asked, with a deferential bow.

"Oh, yes; you may hope. I tell you frankly it was delightful with you.
Now, are you satisfied, my modest one? Jane, I see we have a forward
body here; no telling what he will be at next," said Mary, with
evident impatience, rapidly swaying her fan. She spoke almost sharply,
for Brandon's attitude was more that of an equal than she was
accustomed to, and her royal dignity, which was the artificial part of
her, rebelled against it now and then in spite of her real
inclinations. The habit of receiving only adulation, and living on a
pinnacle above everybody else, was so strong from continued practice,
that it appealed to her as a duty to maintain that elevation. She had
never before been called upon to exert herself in that direction, and
the situation was new. The servile ones with whom she usually
associated maintained it for her; so she now felt, whenever she
thought of it, that she was in duty bound to clamber back, at least
part of the way, to her dignity, however pleasant it was, personally,
down below in the denser atmosphere of informality.

In her heart the princess preferred, upon proper occasions, such as
this, to abate her dignity, and often requested others to dispense