There was nothing left, less than a week, and I didn’t have anything ready at all: no dress, no shoes, what else does a normal girl need for a ball? Jewelry, hair, makeup. There is no desire to go, and, accordingly, no idea of ​​how I will look. Yes, one has only to think about a visit to the court, and I become terribly dreary.

To erase a few hours from your life completely, that's what such events mean. You won’t really have fun, you’ll get tired of bowing in front of everyone in half an hour, you’ll start to feel sick from fake smiles, and your legs will ache...