314 LADIES ON HOESEBACK. 



tight stays, gloves, and boots. Her waist is^ 

 small, but not wasp-like. The absurd an- 

 nouncement that it measured but twelve 

 inches (recently pubhshed in one of the 

 weekly journals) is as false as it is foolish. 

 Nobody could exist with such a deformity. 

 The Empress takes morning exercise upon a 

 trapeze. Her hair is dark, shaded to gold- 

 colour, like a wood in autumn. The report 

 that she dyes it is one of the many calumnies 

 of which she is the subject, but which happily 

 cannot harm her. She is not affable; her 

 manner is stately in the extreme, to all except 

 thobe with whom she desires to converse. 

 She speaks fair but not fluent English. This 

 reply to Jessica is also for Feank Kuetz, Amy 

 EoBSAET, and Alicia Bond. 



Julius. — It was not I who wrote it. I got 

 the credit of it, but did not covet the dis- 

 tinction. 



Geoege K. — Nobody assists me. Of course 

 you mean as an amanuensis : otherwise your 

 question would be an offence. I write my 

 thoughts in short-hand, and copy at leisure 

 for the press. My time for writing is when. 



