The Green Satin Gown
Who ever wore such a queer-looking thing? I wore it myself, dear,once upon a time; yes, I did! Perhaps you would like to hear about it,while you mend that tear in your muslin. Sit down, then, and let usbe cosy.I was making a visit in Hillton once, when I was seventeen years old,just your age; staying with dear old Miss Persis Elderby, who is nowdead. I have told you about her, and it is strange that I have nevertold you the story of the green satin gown; but, indeed, it is yearssince I looked at it. We were great friends, Miss Persis and I; andwe never thought much about the difference in our ages, for she wasyoung for her years, and I was old for mine. In our daily walkthrough the pretty, sleepy Hillton street--we always went for themail, together, for though Miss Persis seldom received letters, shealways liked to see mine, and it was quite the event of the day--mygood friend seldom failed to point out to me a stately mansion thatstood by itself on a little height, and to say in a tone of pride,"The Le Baron place, my dear; the finest place in the county. MadamLe Baron, who lives there alone now, is as great a lady as any inEurope, though she wears no coronet to her name."I never knew exactly what Miss Persis meant by this last remark, butit sounded magnificent, and I always gazed respectfully at the graystone house which sheltered so grand a personage. Madam Le Baron, itappeared, never left the house in winter, and this was January. Herfriends called on her at stated intervals, and, to judge fromMiss Persis, never failed to come away in a state of reverentialenthusiasm. I could not help picturing to myself the great lady asabout six feet tall, clad in purple velvet, and waving apeacock-feather fan; but I never confided my imaginings even to thesympathetic Miss Persis.One day my friend returned from a visit to the stone house, quitebreathless, her pretty old face pink with excitement. She sat downon the chair nearest the door, and gazed at me with, speechlessemotion."Dear Miss Persis!" I cried. "What has happened? Have you had badnews?"Miss Persis shook her head. "Bad news? I should think not, indeed!Child, Madam Le Baron wishes to see you. More I cannot say at present.Not a word! Put on your best hat, and come with me. Madam Le Baronwaits for us!"It was as if she had said, "The Sultan is on the front door-step." Iflew up-stairs, and made myself as smart as I could in such a hurry.My cheeks were as pink as Miss Persis's own, and though I had notthe faintest idea what was the matter, I felt that it must besomething of vital import. On the way, I begged my companion toexplain matters to me, but she only shook her head and trotted on thefaster. "No time!" she panted. "Speech delays me, my dear! All willbe explained; only make haste."We made such haste, that by the time we rang at the door of thestone house neither of us could speak, and Miss Persis could onlymake a mute gesture to the dignified maid who opened the door, andwho looked amazed, as well she might, at our burning cheeks anddisordered appearance. Fortunately, she knew Miss Persis well, andlost no time in ushering us into a cool, dimly lighted parlor, hungwith family portraits. Here we sat, and fanned ourselves with ourpocket-handkerchiefs, while I tried to find breath for a question;but there was not time! A door opened at the further end of the room;there was a soft rustle, a smell of sandal-wood in the air. The nextmoment Madam Le Baron stood before us. A slender figure, about myown height, in a quaint, old-fashioned dress; snowy hair, arrangedin puff on puff, with exquisite nicety; the darkest, softest eyes Iever saw, and a general air of having left her crown in the next room;this was the great lady.We rose, and I made my best courtesy,--we courtesied then, my dear,instead of bowing like pump-handles,--and she spoke to us in a softold voice, that rustled like the silk she wore, though it had a clearsound, too. "So this is the child!" she said. "I trust you are verywell, my dear! And has Miss Elderby told you of the small particularin which you can oblige me?"Miss Persis hastened to say that she wasted no time on explanations,but had brought me as quickly as might be, thinking that the mainthing. Madam Le Baron nodded, and smiled a little; then she turnedto me; a few quiet words, and I knew all about it. She had receivedthat morning a note from her grandniece, "a young and giddy person,"who lived in B----, some twenty miles away, announcing that she anda party of friends were about to drive over to Hillton to see theold house. She felt sure that her dear aunt would be enchanted tosee them, as it must be "quite too forlorn for her, all alone inthat great barn;" so she might expect them the next evening (that is,the evening of this very day), in time for supper, and no doubt ashungry as hunters. There would be about a dozen of them, probably,but she knew there was plenty of room at Birchwood, and it would bea good thing to fill up the empty rooms for once in a way; so,looking forward to a pleasant meeting, the writer remained herdearest aunt's "affectionate niece, Effie Gay.""The child has no mother," said Madam Le Baron to Miss Persis; thenturning to me, she said: "I am alone, save for my two maids, who areof middle age, and not accustomed to youthful visitors. Learningfrom my good friend, Miss Elderby, that a young gentlewoman wasstaying at her house, I conceived the idea of asking you to spendthe night with me, and such portion of the next day as my guests mayremain. If you are willing to do me this service, my dear, you mayput off your bonnet, and I will send for your evening dress and yourtoilet necessaries."I had been listening in a dream, hearing what was said, but thinkingit all like a fairy story, chiefly impressed by the fact that thespeaker was the most beautiful person I had ever seen in my life.The last sentence, however, brought me to my senses with a vengeance.With scarlet cheeks I explained that I had brought no evening dresswith me; that I lived a very quiet life at home, and had expectednothing different here; that, to be quite frank, I had not such athing as an evening dress in the world. Miss Persis turned pale withdistress and mortification; but Madam Le Baron looked at me quietly,with her lovely smile."I will provide you with a suitable dress, my child," she said."I have something that will do very well for you. If you like to goto your room now, my maid will attend you, and bring what isnecessary. We expect our guests in time for supper, at eight o'clock."Decidedly, I had walked into a fairy tale, or else I was dreaming!Here I sat in a room hung with flowered damask, in a wonderful chair,by a wonderful fire; and a fairy, little and withered and brown,dressed in what I knew must be black bombazine, though I knew itonly from descriptions, was bringing me tea, and plum-cake, on asilver tray. She looked at me with kind, twinkling eyes, and saidshe would bring the dress at once; then left me to my own wonderingfancies. I hardly knew what to be thinking of, so much was happening:more, it seemed, in these few hours, than in all my life before. Itried to fix my mind on the gay party that would soon fill the silenthouse with life and tumult; I tried to fancy how Miss Effie Gaywould look, and what she would say to me; but my mind kept comingback to the dress, the evening dress, that I was to be privileged towear. What would it be like? Would silk or muslin be prettier? Ifonly it were not pink! A red-haired girl in pink was a sad sight!Looking up, I saw a portrait on the wall, of a beautiful girl, in acurious, old-time costume. The soft dark eyes and regal turn of thehead told me that it was my hostess in her youth; and even as Ilooked, I heard the rustle again, and smelt the faint odor ofsandalwood; and Madam Le Baron came softly in, followed by the fairymaid, bearing a long parcel."Your gown, my dear," she said, "I thought you would like to bepreparing for the evening. Undo it, Jessop!"Jessop lifted fold on fold of tissue-paper. I looked, expecting Iknow not what fairy thing of lace and muslin: I saw--the green satingown!We were wearing large sleeves then, something like yours at thepresent day, and high collars; the fashion was at its height. Thisgown had long, tight, wrinkled sleeves, coming down over the hand,and finished with a ruffle of yellow lace; the neck, rounded andhalf-low, had a similar ruffle almost deep enough to be called a ruff;the waist, if it could be called a waist, was up under the arms:briefly, a costume of my grandmother's time. Little green satinslippers lay beside it, and a huge feather-fan hung by a green ribbon.Was this a jest? was it--I looked up, with burning cheeks and eyessuffused; I met a glance so kind, so beaming with good-will, that myeyes fell, and I could only hope that my anguish had not been visible."Shall Jessop help you, my dear?" said Madam Le Baron. "You can doit by yourself? Well, I like to see the young independent. I thinkthe gown will become you; it has been considered handsome." Sheglanced fondly at the shining fabric, and left the room; the maid,after one sharp glance at me, in which I thought I read an amusedcompassion, followed; and I was left alone with the green satin gown.Cry? No, I did not cry: I had been brought up not to cry; but Isuffered, my dear, as one does suffer at seventeen. I thought ofjumping out of the window and running away, back to Miss Persis; Ithought of going to bed, and saying I was ill. It was true, I saidto myself, with feverish violence: I was ill, sick with shame andmortification and disappointment. Appear before this gay party,dressed like my own great-grandmother? I would rather die! A personmight easily die of such distress as this--and so on, and so on!Suddenly, like a cool touch on my brow, came a thought, a word of myUncle John's, that had helped me many a time before."Endeavor, my dear, to maintain a sense of proportion!"The words fell with weight on my distracted mind. I sat up straightin the armchair into which I had flung myself, face downward. Wasthere any proportion in this horror? I shook myself, then put thetwo sides together, and looked at them. On one side, two lovely oldladies, one of whom I could perhaps help a little, both of whom Icould gratify; on the other, my own--dear me! was it vanity? Ithought of the two sweet old faces, shining with kindness; I fanciedthe distress, the disappointment, that might come into them, if I--"Yes, dear uncle," I said aloud, "I have found the proportion!" Ishook myself again, and began to dress. And now a happy thoughtstruck me. Glancing at the portrait on the wall, I saw that the fairgirl was dressed in green. Was it? Yes, it must be--it was--the verysame dress! Quickly, and as neatly as I could, I arranged my hair intwo great puffs, with a butterfly knot on the top of my head, in thestyle of the picture; if only I had the high comb! I slipped on thegown, which fitted me well enough. I put on the slippers, and tiedthe green ribbons round and round my ankles; then I lighted all thecandles, and looked at myself. A perfect guy? Well, perhaps--andyet--At this moment Jessop entered, bringing a pair of yellow gloves; shelooked me over critically, saying nothing; glanced at the portrait,withdrew, and presently reappeared, with the high tortoise-shellcomb in her hand. She placed it carefully in my hair, surveyed meagain, and again looked at the picture. Yes, it was true, thenecklace was wanting; but of course--Really, Jessop was behaving like a jack-in-the-box! She haddisappeared again, and now here she was for the third time; but thistime Madam Le Baron was with her. The old lady looked at me silently,at my hair, then up at the picture. The sight of the pleasure in herlovely face trampled under foot, put out of existence, the lastremnant of my foolish pride.She turned to Jessop and nodded. "Yes, by all means!" she said. Themaid put into her hand a long morocco box; Madam kissed me, and withsoft, trembling fingers clasped the necklace round my neck."It is a graceful compliment you pay me, my child," she said,glancing at the picture again, with eyes a little dimmed. "Oblige meby wearing this, to complete the vision of my past youth."Ten stars of chrysoprase, the purest and tenderest green in the world,set in delicately wrought gold. I need not describe the necklace toyou. You think it the most beautiful jewel in the world, and so do I;and I have promised that you shall wear it on your eighteenthbirthday.Madam Le Baron saw nothing singular in my appearance. She neverchanged the fashion of her dress, being of the opinion, as she toldme afterward, that a gentlewoman's dress is her own affair, not hermantua-maker's; and her gray and silver brocade went very well withthe green satin. We stood side by side for a moment, gazing into thelong, dim mirror; then she patted my shoulder and gave a little sigh."Your auburn hair looks well with the green," she said. "My hair wasdark, but otherwise--Shall we go down, my dear?"I will not say much about the evening. It was painful, of course;but Effie Gay had no mother, and much must be pardoned in such a case.No doubt I made a quaint figure enough among the six or eight gaygirls, all dressed in the latest fashion; but the first moment wasthe worst, and the first titter put a fire in my veins that kept mewarm all the evening. An occasional glance at Madam Le Baron'splacid face enabled me to preserve my sense of proportion, and Iremembered that two wise men, Solomon and my Uncle John, hadcompared the laughter of fools to the crackling of thorns under a pot.And--and there were some who did not laugh.Pin it up, my dear! Your father has come, and will be wanting his tea.I can tell you the rest of the story in a few words.A year from that time Madam Le Baron died; and a few weeks after herdeath, a parcel came for me from Hillton.Opening it in great wonder, what did I find but the gown, the greensatin gown, with the slippers and fan, and the tortoise-shell combin a leather case! Lifting it reverently from the box, the dress feltsingularly heavy on my arm, and a moment's search revealed a strangematter. The pocket was full of gold pieces, shining half-eagles,which fell about me in a golden shower, and made me cry out withamazement; but this was not all! The tears sprang to my eyes as Iopened the morocco box and took out the chrysoprase necklace: tearspartly of gratitude and pleasure, partly of sheer kindness and loveand sorrow for the sweet, stately lady who had thought of me in herclosing days, and had found (they told me afterward) one of her lastpleasures in planning this surprise for me.There is something more that I might say, my dear. Your dear fatherwas one of that gay sleighing party; and he often speaks of thefirst time he saw me--when I was coming down the stairs in the greensatin gown.
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