308 OUTDOOR STUDIES 
tion-room seems like a large omnibus, lighted, 
dressed with flowers, and having a row of ladies 
on each side. The personal beauty is perhaps 
less than one expects —though one sees some 
superb dark eyes and blue-black hair — and the 
dresses are borrowed from rather distant French 
fashions. Presently a lady takes her seat at 
the piano, then comes an eager rush of gentle- 
men into the room, and partners are taken for 
cotillons, —large, double, very double cotillons, 
here called contradangas. The gentlemen ap- 
pear in scrupulous black broadcloth and satin 
and white kid; in summer alone are they per- 
mitted to wear white trousers to parties ; and 
we heard of one anxious youth who, about the 
turn of the season, wore the black and carried 
the white in his pocket, peeping through the 
door, on arrival, to see which had the majority. 
It seemed a pity to waste such gifts of discre- 
tion on a monarchical country, when he might 
have emigrated to America and applied them to 
politics. 
The company perform their dancing with the 
accustomed air of civilized solemnity. Changes 
of figure are announced by a clapping of hands 
from one of the gentlemen, and a chorus of such 
applauses marks the end of the dance. Then 
they promenade slowly round the room, once 
or twice, in pairs; then the ladies take their 
