A debutante's diary: Alice goes to a ball
Despite being struck dumb by Alice's magnificent hair, Sir Samuel Hayes still manages to invite her to his grandmother's ball


WEEK THREE
While Augustus and I were painting today in came Sir Samuel Hayes with an invitation for me for his grandmother's ball tonight. The way he stood and stared at my hair was something fine to see. He was so struck dumb that he could not even bring out a compliment.
An occasional ‘Oh my God' was the only vent it found in words. I enjoyed myself very much at this ball, where I made my entrée into London Society. Augustus introduced me to every man worth knowing, and I was agreeably surprised at finding myself as admired as I had been in Paris, which I had never ventured to expect.
** Subscribe to Country Life; Country Life on Ipad
Before introducing anyone Augustus gave me a rapidly whispered enumeration of their possessions and social standing: for instance-‘Beauty Campbell, Captain, Guards, splendid place in the North, £20,000 a year.-Captain Campbell-Miss Miles'. Beauty Campbell, so called from being one of the best-looking men in the service, was a splendid specimen: his six-foot-three, open face and violet eyes were perfectly refreshing after puny, dark-browed Frenchmen.
Sir Samuel tried to inveigle me into a flirtation, but as he has only £4,000 a year which he has abandoned to the education of his 11 brothers and sisters, there would be no interested side in any such proceedings.
Every Girl's Duty', edited by Maggy Parsons and published by Andre Deutsch
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
* Follow Country Life magazine on Twitter
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by His Majesty The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
-
'True waterfront homes are finite... miss one and it could be years before you see another like it again': Why the best waterfront property always hits the spot
There’s no denying the appeal of waterfront property, which now sells for some 51% more than its inland equivalent, finds Knight Frank. Annabel Dixon explores the shore.
-
Beyond Royal Portrush: Castles, country houses and ancient towers in the other dimension of golf in Ireland
Rory McIlroy's history-making exploits and The Open arriving at Royal Portrush have made 2025 a banner year for Irish golf — but there's far more to golf on the island of Ireland than those headline-grabbers, as Toby Keel finds out.