"You know they've come, Marie?" said the little princess, waddlingin, and sinking heavily into an armchair.

　　She was no longer in the loose gown she generally wore in themorning, but had on one of her best dresses. Her hair was carefullydone and her face was animated, which, however, did not conceal itssunken and faded outlines. Dressed as she used to be in Petersburgsociety, it was still more noticeable how much plainer she had become.Some unobtrusive touch had been added to Mademoiselle Bourienne'stoilet which rendered her fresh and prettyface yet more attractive.

　　"What! Are you going to remain as you are, dear princess?" shebegan. "They'll be announcing that the gentlemen are in the drawingroom and we shall have to go down, and you have not smartened yourselfup at all!"

　　The little princess got up, rang for the maid, and hurriedly andmerrily began to devise and carry out a plan of how Princess Maryshould be dressed. Princess Mary's self-esteem was wounded by the factthat the arrival of a suitor agitated her, and still more so by bothher companions' not having the least conception that it could beotherwise. To tell them that she felt ashamed for herself and for themwould be to betray her agitation, while to decline their offers todress her would prolong their banter and insistence. She flushed,her beautiful eyes grew dim, red blotches came on her face, and ittook on the unattractive martyrlike expression it so often wore, asshe submitted herself to Mademoiselle Bourienne and Lise. Both thesewomen quite sincerely tried to make her look pretty. She was soplain that neither of them could think of her as a rival, so theybegan dressing her with perfect sincerity, and with the naive and firmconviction women have that dress can make a face pretty.

　　"No really, my dear, this dress is not pretty," said Lise, lookingsideways at Princess Mary from a little distance. "You have a maroondress, have it fetched. Really! You know the fate of your whole lifemay be at stake. But this one is too light, it's not becoming!"

　　It was not the dress, but the face and whole figure of Princess Marythat was not pretty, but neither Mademoiselle Bourienne nor the littleprincess felt this; they still thought that if a blue ribbon wereplaced in the hair, the hair combed up, and the blue scarf arrangedlower on the best maroon dress, and so on, all would be well. Theyforgot that the frightened face and the figure could not be altered,and that however they might change the setting and adornment of thatface, it would still remain piteous and plain. After two or threechanges to which Princess Mary meekly submitted, just as her hairhad been arranged on the top of her head (a style that quite alteredand spoiled her looks) and she had put on a maroon dress with apale-blue scarf, the little princess walked twice round her, nowadjusting a fold of the dress with her little hand, now arrangingthe scarf and looking at her with her head bent first on one sideand then on the other.

　　"No, it will not do," she said decidedly, clasping her hands. "No,Mary, really this dress does not suit you. I prefer you in your littlegray everyday dress. Now please, do it for my sake. Katie," she saidto the maid, "bring the princess her gray dress, and you'll see,Mademoiselle Bourienne, how I shall arrange it," she added, smilingwith a foretaste of artistic pleasure.