catch
up the ballet-skirts and flee, Attendants remove the dressing-tables.
_Tableau_ over. Plot where it was.

TABLEAU III.--Grand Reception Room in the Palace. Enter the Queen,
sulky, because _Louis_ has taken all the Pages, and only left her
a couple of Chamberlains. Enter _Louis_, more impudent than ever.
They take their places on a _dais_; the hangings at head of a
flight of steps behind are withdrawn, and the first "Grand Ballet
Divertissement" begins. _Louis_ frankly bored, knowing there's another
to come after that. Ballet charming, but he doesn't deign to glance
at it, gives all his attention to a stuffed lamb on the top of the
steps. Bevy after bevy of maidens disclosed behind hangings, each
more bewitching and gorgeously attired than the last--but they don't
interest _Louis_,--or else the presence of the Queen restrains him.
Instructive to note the partiality of the _Corps de Ballet_. When
Signorina DE SORTIS dances, they are so overcome that they lean
backwards with outstretched arms in a sort of semi-swoon of delight.
But the other lady may prance and whirl and run about on the points
of her toes till she requires support, and they merely retire up and
ignore her altogether. There is a dancing Signor in pearl grey, who
supports first one Signorina and then the other with the strictest
impartiality, and finally dances with both together, to show that he
makes no distinctions and has no serious intentions. All this time
_Louis_ has been getting more and more restless; now and then he makes
some remark, evidently disparaging, to the Queen, who receives it
coldly. But at last he can't stand it any longer. "Call this dancing!
_I'll_ show 'em how to dance!" his look says. "Where's LOUISE?" And he
gets up, pulls himself together, and invites her to come and dance a
minuet. Queen disgusted with him, but pretends not to notice. _Louis_
goes through minuet with extreme satisfaction to himself. Enter Page
with an immense cushion, on which is "_a bracelet of great value_"
(Argument again). Queen excited--thinks it's for _her_; but _Louis_
stops the dance, takes the bracelet, and gives it to _Louise_. "A
present from Paris. There, that's for being a good girl--take it, and
say no more about it." She does, and they finish the minuet. _Louis_,
on turning round to the _dais_, discovers that the Queen has gone
away, which he seems to think most unreasonable of her--just when he
was dancing his very best! There is more bal