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The little princess got up, rang for the maid, and hurriedly and

merrily began to devise and carry out a plan of how Princess Mary

should be dressed. Princess Mary's self-esteem was wounded by the

fact that the arrival of a suitor agitated her, and still more so

by both her companions' not having the least conception that it

could be otherwise. To tell them that she felt ashamed for

herself and for them would be to betray her agitation, while to

decline their offers to dress her would prolong their banter and

insistence. She flushed, her beautiful eyes grew dim, red

blotches came on her face, and it took on the unattractive

martyrlike expression it so often wore, as she submitted herself

to Mademoiselle Bourienne and Lise. Both these women quite

sincerely tried to make her look pretty.

She was so plain that neither of them could think of her as a

rival, so they began dressing her with perfect sincerity, and

with the naive and firm conviction women have that dress can make

a face pretty.