Volume IV Part 94 (2/2)
”Oh! of course I believe it, but I am afraid your sweetheart will be rather sceptical”
”She knows that I cannot love anyone besides herself”
”Well, well, ill say no uests came the marquis said that as the costumes would amuse us we had better put them on before supper
We followed him into the next room, and he pointed out two thick bundles
”Here, ladies, are your disguises,” said he; ”and here is your maid ill help you while we dress in another rooer of the two bundles, and ere shut up in our roo,--
”Let us be as quick as we can”
We burst out laughing to see a set of wo, chearters, and, to relieve us of the trouble of having our hair done, exquisite caps with rich lace co over the forehead I was surprised to find that my shoes fitted me perfectly, but I heard afterwards that he eowns, kerchief, fans, work-bags, rouge-boxes, loves-all were there
We only helped each other with our hair, but when it was done we looked intensely stupid, with the exception of the young officer, who really ht have been taken for a pretty woman; he had concealed his deficiency in feminine characteristics by false breasts and a bustle
We took off our breeches one after the other
”Your fine garters,” said I, to the marquis, ”make me want to wear some too”
”Exactly,” said the marquis; ”but the worst of it is nobody will take the trouble to find out whether we have garters or not, for two young ladies five feet ten in height will not inspire very ardent desires”
I had guessed that the girls would be dressed like men, and I was not mistaken They were ready before us, and e opened the doorthe with their backs to the fireplace
They looked three young pages h they endeavoured to seem quite at their ease they were rather confused
We advanced with thethe air of shy reserve which the part deed tomen accustomed to behave respectfully to ladies They were dressed as running foot waistcoats, open throats, garters with a silver fringe, laced waistbands, and pretty caps triold Their lace shi+rts were ornamented with an immense frill of Alencon point In this dress, which displayed their beautiful shapes under a veil which was almost transparent, they would have stirred the sense of a paralytic, and we had no symptohten them
After the silly rean to talk naturally while aiting for supper The ladies said that as this was the first tinized
”Supposing somebody knew us,” cried the cousin, ”we should be undone!”
They were right; but our part was to reassure theh I at any rate would have preferred to stay where ere We sat down to supper, each next to his sweetheart, and to in the fun Thinking that she could not pretend to be a an to toy with the lady-lieutenant, who defended himself like a prudish an to caress us in aon us at table could not help laughing when Mdlle
Q---reproached her for having ht in the neck She stretched out her hand as if to toy with ht box on the ear, and i the ed my pardon
The marquis said he felt cold, and his mistress asked him if he had his breeches on, and put her hand under his dress to see, but she speedily drew it back with a blush We all burst out laughing, and she joined in, and proceeded with her part of hardy lover
The supper was ad was choice and abundant Warm with love and wine, we rose froot up sadness disfigured the faces of the two pretty cousins They did not dare to go to the ball in a costume that would put them at the mercy of all the libertines there The ht
”We o to the ball or go home?”