The Argosy — page 272: what you’re looking at

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

| Court Netherleigh. 253. of it. The caisse was taken for granted; the articles only appeared. The chief one, the lace dress, new from Paris, and secluded till that moment from covetous eyes, was of a species of lace that madame called Point d’Angleterre. Madame shook out its folds with tender solicitude, and displayed its temptations before Mrs. Dalrymple’s en- thralled eyes. Madame did not speak: she let the dress do its own work: her face spoke eloquently enough. Selina was sitting on one of the low crimson velvet ottomans, her parasol tracing unconscious figures on the carpet, and her own elegant silk gown spread out around her. “Oh dear!” she ejaculated, withdrawing her enraptured gaze. “ But I fear it is very dear.” ‘Never let madam talk about that,” said the Frenchwoman. “It 7s high; but—look at it. One could not pick up such a dress, as that, every day.” ‘“ How I should like it !” “The moment we took this dress out of the caisse, I said to Miss Atkinson, who was helping me, ‘That must be for Madame Dal- reemp: there is no other lady who could do it justice.’ Madam,” she quickly added, as if an idea had just occurred to her, ‘ fancy this robe, fine et belle, over a delicate pink glacé or a maize !” ‘Or over white,” suggested Selina. “Or over white: Madame Dalreemp’s taste is always correct. It would be a dress fit for a duchess, too elegant for many of them.” Some silks of different colours were called for, and the lace robe was displayed upon them successively. Selina went into ecstasies when the peach-blossom colour was underneath. ‘“T must have it: ° What is the price P” “Just one hundred guineas, neither more nor less; and to any- body but Madame Dalreemp I should say a hundred and twenty. But I know that when once she appears in this before the world, I shall have order upon order. It will be, ‘Where did you get that dress, ma chere Madame Dalreemp ?’ and madam will answer, ‘I got it of Damereau ;’ and then they will come flocking to me. Ainsi, ma bonne dame, I can afford to let you have your things cheap.” “T don’t know what to say,” hesitated Selina, taking in, never- theless, all the flattery. ‘‘ A hundred guineas! it is a great deal: and what a bill I shall have! that lace dress I bought three weeks ago was only sixty.” “What was that lace robe compared with this?” was madame’s indig- nant rejoinder. ‘‘ That was nothing but common Guipure. Look at what the effect of this will be! Ah, madam, if you do not take it I shall not sleep: I shall be vexed to my heart. Just as madam pleases, though, of course. Mulady Grey did come to me yesterday for a lace dress: I told milady I should have one in a week’s time: I did not care for her to see it first, for she is short, and she does not set off the things well. I know she would give me one hundred and twenty for this, and be glad to get it.” conniclooolkks mn