Chapter Synopsis

Memoirs of a London Doll
March 9, 2009

Chapter 10: Playing With Fire

Lady Flora has learned Maria’s name from the letter sent by Ellen Plummy and decides Maria must have a gold bracelet engraved with her name. A bracelet was purchased but was too large and kept falling off so they took it to a jeweler for fixing and the jeweler decided the bracelet should be fastened to Maria’s wrist with rivets.

As they passed by the Opera House on the way home from the jewelers, Lady Flora realizes that she has never seen the dancing there. She cannot get it off her mind, so her mother decides that she will take Lady Flora to the Duchess of Guineahen’s ball next month. There is much excitement and Lady Flora has decided to take an extra dancing lesson to prepare for the ball. Of course, new dresses have to be ordered immediately and there were sessions of fittings. Finally, the dresses are ready and because Lady Flora is so anxious to go to the ball, she puts on her dress hours early and then dresses Maria. In her excitement Lady Flora grabs Maria and dances around the room in her full, gauze frock. Every time she swirls past the fire burning in the grate the flames make a “puff” sound, which amuses Lady Flora, so she dances by ever closer and closer. Suddenly, as the skirt of her frock brushed against the bars on the fireplace, the hem of her frock blazed up. She screamed and tried to run but tripped and fell to the rug which was fortunate, at least to some degree. She smothered the blaze, but her clothes were still on fire. The nursery maid screamed; the page ran in and fell down with fear and confusion; and the footman looked into the room, smelled the fire and ran away. Finally the countess came in and seeing what had happened, rolled the thick rug all round her daughter.

Fortunately, Lady Flora was not burned badly. She would recover but the scars would remain. Maria was tossed into the pile of burnt clothes and forgotten. She was scorched and frizzled and her paint had blistered and peeled off. She was quite black. No notice was made of her and eventually she was tossed out a back window by a servant. She fortunately made a soft landing, but when she recovered her senses from the fall, a new alarm! A large Newfoundland dog who was passing by thought someone had thrown him a broiled bone. He caught Maria up in his mouth and away he ran.

DISCUSSION:

I have a feeling the bracelet riveted to Maria’s wrist is going to show up again in the story somewhere.

Imagine a little girl taking 2 ½ hours to prepare for a ball. I found that rather astonishing. Also, it took an hour to get the doll ready!!
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I found the chapter with Little Lady Flora getting hurt sad. The maids all seemed to panic. It must have been an ordeal for Maria, too. I'm sure she felt frightened in the dog’s mouth.
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I wonder what happened to that staff. Probably all were dismissed from their positions. Thank goodness Lady Flowerdale appeared when she did. She appears to be kind but with the staff doing nothing to help Flora and the footman leaving, she must have been upset by that.

I also found it interesting that the ball gowns were to be made by a celebrated milliner in Piccadilly. I don't think that was Aunt Sharpshins.

Interesting, too, how Maria compared Lady Flora with little Ellen Plummy. Lady Flora was impatient and restless and Maria felt sad that Lady Flora hadn't learned to make dresses herself. Her mind would have "been employed" and she would have been so much more comfortable. She remembered the happy day spent with Ellen and Nanny Bell as they sat under the tent made of a sheet making Maria an outfit. They had work to do and were happy, whereas Lady Flora had no work and her mind was disturbed and she was unable to attend to lessons.

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