The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 157: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

130 THE COURT OF LONDON “No, I do not fancy the officer’s garb,’”’ observed Miss Walters. “I should seem ridiculously short in that dress, and my appearance would only court disagreeable attention. Think again, and be speedy.” ‘A midshipman in the navy,’ exclaimed the mistress of the fancy dress warehouse. ‘‘ You might have a delicate pair of whiskers — I mean a moderate-sized pair, glossy and curled — Just to prevent your face from appearing too baby- ish or too feminine; and the blue garb of a sailor, with the neat little dirk by your side, would not be too glaringly attractive.” “ Be it as you say,”’ exclaimed Caroline. “ But have you such a dress ready at hand and which is sure to fit me? ”’ she demanded. ‘““T should not have proposed the middy’s uniform if I had not been prepared to supply it, young lady,” said the woman. “ And as for the whiskers,’ she added, producing a pasteboard box containing a large assortment of those artificial embellishments for cheeks that were virgin of the razor, “‘ here you may pick and choose according to your own good pleasure.”’ Caroline accordingly selected a charming pair of false whiskers; and, the uniform being likewise produced, she was shown up-stairs into a chamber, where the mistress of the warehouse aided her in the arrangements of her new toilet. The midshipman’s apparel fitted to perfection, and she seemed a sweetly interesting boy, until the whiskers were fastened with a solution of gum arabic to her cheeks. Then, the dirk being slung to her waist, she looked like a youth of about one and twenty, very short in stature, and of delicate features. To increase the manliness of her appear- ance — or rather, to diminish its feminine air as much as possible — she consented to allow the woman to cut off a considerable portion of her beautiful hair; and, when this sacrifice was made, she felt as she looked in the glass that she could now defy detection even on the part of the most searching eyes. Having paid the mistress of the shop a liberal price for the articles thus purchased and the attentions administered, Caroline Walters sallied forth; and, after some little hesita- tion as to the immediate proceedings which she should adopt, she repaired to a coffee-house, where she called for some GOmMmicdooks (E(0)