Volume IV Part 90 (1/2)

”Fie! fie! I should be angry with ht”

”That's curious; why so?”

”I'll tell you If the disguise is cousted, for the shape of a woman is much more marked than that of a man, and consequently a woood figure”

”But when a wory with her for skewing too eneral outlines of the forination is often deceptive!”

”Yes, but it is with the face that I always fall in love, and that never deceives ood fortune to see anything more I am always in a lenient hing?”

”I auments”

”Would you like to be dressed like aof the kind, but after you have said we can ine what you would say; I should certainly not take you for men, but I will say no more”

They looked at each other, and blushed and saze fixed on two pre-eminences which one would never expect to see in any s, and for two hours I enjoyed their lively and cultured conversation

When I left them I went off to my apartments, then to the opera, where I lost two hundred sequins, and finally supped with the countess, who had become quite amiable However, she soon fell back into her old hen she found that my politeness was merely external, and that I had no intentions whatever of troubling her in her bedroo officer ca that I wanted hi to my instructions He promised to follow theet a carriage and four, and as soon as the five of you are in it tell the coachallop out of Milan, and to bring you back again by another road to the house There yousilence on the coachman, and come in After the ball you will undress in the sao home in sedan-chairs Thus we shall be able to baffle the inquisitive, ill be pretty numerous, I warn you”

”My friend the marquis will see to all that,” said he, ”and I pro to make your acquaintance”

”I shall expect you, then, at seven o'clock to-morrow

”Warn your friend that it is important the coach a servant”

All these arrangeuise uisethe features and the shape of the body, it does not even let the colour of the skin renizable My readers uise ten years before I et me a new Pierrot costume, which I placed with the others, and with t purses, in each of which I placed five hundred sequins, I repaired to the pastrycook's before seven o'clock I found the table spread, and the supper ready I shut up Zenobia in the room where the ladies were to make their toilette, and at five minutes past seven the joyous cohted to make my acquaintance, and I welcoentle, very reat respect The lieutenant's htful little lady and madly fond of her lover

As they were all aware that I did not want the was said about it, and we sat down to table

The supper was excellent; I had ordered it in accordance withwas of the best, and there was plenty of everything When we had eaten and drunk well, I said,--

”As I a to appear with you, I may as well tell you the parts you are to play You are to be five beggars, twofaces they pulled at this announceht to see

”You will each carry a plate in your hands to solicit alether about the ball-room as a band of ed robes”

Although I hadat the vexation and disappointment which appeared on all their faces, I succeeded in preserving et their clothes, and I was obliged to tell the They rose from the table and I threw the door open, and all were struck with Zenobia's beauty as she stood up by the table on which the rich though tattered robes were displayed, bowing to the corace

”Here, ladies,” said I to the cousins, ”are your dresses, and here is yours, mademoiselle--a little smaller Here are your shi+fts, your handkerchiefs and your stockings, and I think you will find everything you require on this table Here are masks, the faces of which shew so poorly beside your own, and here are three plates to crave alarters, they will see horetched you are, and the holes in the stockings will let people know that you have not the ithal to buy silk to mend them This packthread must serve you for buckles, and we must take care that there are holes in your shoes and also in your gloves, and as everything must match, as soon as you have put on your chemises youthrough this explanation I saw surprise and delight efface the disappointment and vexation which had been there a uise I had provided for them, and they could not find it in their hearts to say, ”What a pity!”

”Here, gentleot to lacerate your beaver hats, but that is soon done Well, what do you think of the costume?”