CHAPTER VI
THE PRINCE AND MR. BLITHERS
In order to get on with the narrative, I shall be as brief as
possible in the matter of the Blitherwood ball. In the first place,
mere words would prove to be not only feeble but actually out of
place. Any attempt to define the sensation of awe by recourse to a
dictionary would put one in the ridiculous position of seeking the
unattainable. The word has its meaning, of course, but the sensation
itself is quite another thing. As every one who attended the ball was
filled with awe, which he tried to put forward as admiration, the
attitude of the guest was no more limp than that of the chronicler.
In the second place, I am not qualified by experience or imagination
to describe a ball that stood its promoter not a penny short of one
hundred thousand dollars. I believe I could go as high as a fifteen
or even twenty thousand dollar affair with some sort of intelligence,
but anything beyond those figures renders me void and useless.
Mr. Blithers not only ran a special train de luxe from New York City,
but another from Washington and still another from Newport, for it
appears that the Newporters at the last minute couldn't bear the idea
of going to the Metropolis out of season.
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