London at the End of the Century:A Book of Gossip
a Beckett, Arthur William
1900
REALISING PICTURES.
It is a little dangerous to talk of ladies' dresses. Powder always looks well, and it may be conceded that the female representatives of the human race usually appear more charming than their lords if not masters. Still there may be drawbacks to the costumes chosen by our woman kind. If Esmeralda accepts the accompaniment of a goat (either real or stuffed) the disadvantage is obvious; and Marguerite, if she insists upon bringing with her the spinning | |
225 | wheel, will also be (as much as any lady can be) a nuisance. Then it is rather embarrassing when a female friend counts upon a well-known picture. If she wears a white wig and carries a flower you may safely suggest -now, by the way, slightly out of date-and a ruff and black velvet are strongly presumptive of a desire to reproduce But when you have hazarded these fairly safe assumptions there is considerable danger in guessing anything else. |
a lady asked me (in questionable grammar) not very long ago. | |
I pondered, and noticed that she was wearing flowing flaxen hair, a brown gown, , and diamonds. I remembered that she had a boy at Eton, and deferentially suggested | |
she exclaimed. | |
Then I looked at her once more, and yet again. She had no ruff, so she would not be and her flowing wavy tresses negatived the presumption that she was the Lost Duchess, so I | |
she replied. | |
And then I admitted that had I seen the broom I should have had a better chance. And so I should. | |