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The Little house
Thismadethemsulky,thoughtheyhadreallybroughtitonthemselves,andtheydrewforMaimieaverygloomypictureoftheperilsthatwouldfaceherifsheinsistedongoingtotheball.
Shelearnedfromapurplefilbertthatthecourtwasnotinitsusualgoodtemperatpresent,thecausebeingthetantalisingheartoftheDukeofChristmasDaisies.HewasanOrientalfairy,verypoorlyofadreadfulcomplaint,namely,inabilitytolove,andthoughhehadtriedmanyladiesinmanylandshecouldnotfallinlovewithoneofthem.QueenMab,whorulesintheGardens,hadbeenconfidentthathergirlswouldbewitchhim,butalas!hisheart,thedoctorsaid,remainedcold.Thisratherirritatingdoctor,whowashisprivatephysician,felttheDuke’sheartimmediatelyafteranyladywaspresented,andthenalwaysshookhisbaldheadandmurmured,’Cold,quitecold.’NaturallyQueenMabfeltdisgraced,andfirstshetriedtheeffectoforderingthecourtintotearsfornineminutes,andthensheblamedtheCupidsanddecreedthattheyshouldwearfools’capsuntiltheythawedtheDuke’sfrozenheart.
’HowIshouldlovetoseetheCupidsintheirdearlittlefools’caps!’Maimiecried,andawaysherantolookforthemveryrecklessly,fortheCupidshatetobelaughedat.
Itisalwayseasytodiscoverwhereafairies’ballisbeingheld,asribbonsarestretchedbetweenitandallthepopulouspartsoftheGardens,onwhichthoseinvitedmaywalktothedancewithoutwettingtheirpumps.Thisnighttheribbonswerered,andlookedveryprettyonthesnow.
Maimiewalkedalongsideoneofthemforsomedistancewithoutmeetinganybody,butatlastshesawafairycavalcadeapproaching.
