Marya Ignatevna Peronskaya, a thin and shallow
maid of honor at the court of the Dowager Empress, who was a friend and relation of the countess and piloted the provincial Rostovs in Petersburg high society, was to accompany them to the ball.
But as the yellow hen tried to enter after them, the little
maid cried "Shoo!" and flapped her apron in Billina's face.
Then she called her
maids and said, "Stay where you are, you girls.
Hordle John drew the back of his hand across his mouth, fixed his eyes upon the corner of the ceiling, and bellowed forth, in a voice which made the torches flicker, the southland ballad for which he had been asked:-- The franklin he hath gone to roam, The franklin's
maid she bides at home, But she is cold and coy and staid, And who may win the franklin's
maid?
Now she was so frightened that she did not see it; but her
maid saw it, and was very glad, for she knew the charm; and she saw that the poor bride would be in her power, now that she had lost the hair.
Hyde had numbered few familiars--even the master of the servant
maid had only seen him twice; his family could nowhere be traced; he had never been photographed; and the few who could describe him differed widely, as common observers will.
But
Maid Marian only scolds the more, and at last goes away leaving the others in sad bewilderment.
Being now left alone with her
maid, she told her trusty waiting-woman, "That she never was more easy than at present.
"If perchance I should be there," he said, "and if perchance I should win the iron chieftainess, the axe Groan-Maker, and rule over the People of the Axe, you should not live far from the shadow of the axe thenceforward,
maid Zinita."
"As
maid of honor!" cried, at the same time, Madame de Saint-Remy with despair, and Mademoiselle de la Valliere with delight.
When it was evening she said to her bridegroom, 'That stupid
maid wants to sleep by your door.'
Her ladyship's new
maid happened to cross the hall while the matter was still in debate.
Had the
maid any reason to be an enemy to the late Mrs.
"The
maid you seek," said she, and again she broke the silence like the moon breaking through the clouds, "what manner of
maid is she?
Report, on coming out: "Sergeant Cuff is depressed in his spirits; but Sergeant Cuff is a perfect gentleman." My lady's own
maid followed.
