THE LADY'S HORSE. 19 



goes over the face or not, for choice. For t hunting, a 

 " shaved " hat looks rather ' ' workmanlike " for a lady, 

 though hideous for a man, and it preserves its appearance 

 better in a wet season. No lady's-maid knows how to 

 brush a hat, much less how to iron one after a deluge 

 of rain. 



The fashion of doing the hair varies too frequently for 

 any remarks on the subject to be useful. I will merely 

 observe that in these days of chignons a net, invisible or 

 otherwise, is nearly indispensable, and quite so for hunt- 

 ing. It is possible to trust to the maid's talent to keep 

 up the hair in an ordinary ride, but too much to expect 

 the same success in a day's hunting. All chignons are 

 quite real of course, we all know that ; but even of a 

 bond fide one the "puff" is an indispensable part, and is 

 not pretty when viewed amidst the dishevelled wreck of 

 ever so perfect a chevelure. It has been stated that the 

 more mecaniqiie there is in a chignon the less liable it is 

 to come to grief; and I can well believe it though of 

 course it may come off bodily, as the one of which we 

 heard so much last season in the park was erroneously 

 supposed to have done. 



Neckties are affairs of taste and climate. 



The body of the habit will make or mar the whole 

 effect. A good-fitting one is obtainable by going to a 

 good maker ; but, without being invidious, I must say I 

 only know of three makers in London who build a really 

 clever one, though scores profess to do so. 



Habits resemble top-boots in this sort of monopoly. A 

 habit is a costume with which it is possible to come to a 

 very reasonable understanding, and consequently one in 

 which those ladies frequently look the best who do not, 

 as regards figure, distance their fair rivals so immea- 



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