OUR COSTUME. 17 



I insinuate any idea of our not having looked somewhat 

 queer. Our costume was but ijidifierently adajited to the 

 drawing-room, and would have obtained small suffrage on 

 the Boulevard des Italiens, the Prater, or Pall-]\Iall. You 

 shall judge. We are a lady and two men. The lady, except 

 that she carries a landing-net, and has taken the precaution 

 of putting on the things which " won't spoil," has nothing 

 out of the ordinary in her costume. We are thus arrayed : 

 a wide-awake hat ; an old coat, with manifold pockets in 

 unexpected places, over which is slung a leathern case, 

 containing hammer, chisel, oyster-knife, and paper-knife ; 

 trousers warranted not to spoil ; over the trousers are drawn 

 huge worsted stockings, over which again are drawn huge 

 leathern boots. Mine are fisherman's boots, and come a few 

 inches over the knee. The soles are well nailed, which is of 

 material service in preventing our slipping so much on the 

 rocks. Now these boots, with the worsted stocking peeping 

 above, are not, it is true, eminently eesthetic. I will not 

 recommend them as objects for the Journal des Modes ; 

 but if you consider the imperfect success which will attend 

 any hesitation as to walking into the water, and through it, — 

 or if you reflect on the very mitigated pleasure of feeling the 

 water trickle into your boots, — you will at once recognise 

 the merit of such boots as I have just described, covered with 

 liquid india-rubber, and well greased. Never mind the inele- 

 gance : handsome is as handsome does ! 



In this costume we wooed the mermaids. We brought a 

 crowbar, to turn over the heavy stones which could not other- 

 wise be moved, but which are worth moving, because it is 



B 



