OULLN

stances a4 matter of unimportance, and like a beauty who had some confidence m the

power of her own charms, she laid aside her

travelling cloak and capotaine hat. The dress she worce under thesc vestments was somewhat of a theatrical cast, so as to suit the assumed person- age of once of the females who was to act 1 the pagceant.” She wears a white silk petticoat embroi- dered m gold; and a rcedingote of pik satin - also cmbroidered n cold and trimmed with green satin, The front of her bodice 1s low and resembles a sto- macher, with trim- mings of gold

cmbroidery to match the petucoat,

ERNESTINE (23).

The

sleceves arce very striking, and, so far as 1

know, arc not in IEhzabethan

style. "There are tight, very much puffed under sleeves of white

satin, over which are large open wings of pink satin embroidered mm green satin thread. The ac- cessories of this beautifully dressed

lady mclude o crown of gold paper

ornamented with gold and green beads, a high lace ruffle, several rows of tiny pearls to which a cross of gold beads is attached, and white leather shoes with gold rosettes.

Now and again onc comes across o genuine Dutceh face, which has heen obviously recog- nised by the Princess or her attendants, and its possessor characteristically attired as a Dutch peasant. There 15 the quaintest little doll 1maginable, called Ernestine (23), which, ac- cording to the doll-book, ‘ was brought from Berne.” Unlike

the other dolls, it is made of white leather, 1s about four inches in height, and the same

1 Dbreadth.

She is a little squat, dumpy

M.

I1CTORLALS DOLLS. 227

woman, with a huge waist and a squareness of countcnance and figure and frock that 1s

irresistibly humorous.

Her short, full black skirt, cdged with red, her green- striped silk apron, muslin chemi- sctte, frilled cape, black velvet stomacher and braces give the buxom little woman an absurd air of reality and fanmiharity, send- mmg your mind instantly to Swiss figures and scenes.

But to return to the dolls clothed by Her Majesty, naturally the chicf nterest to most of us. Male char- acters scem to have been especial favourites, though they are by no means so claborately cared for as the ladies.

Count Almaviva (25) is, as will be remembered, one of the prin- cipal male characters in * The Marriage of Figaro ” and in “'T'he Barber of Seville,” both of which operas were frequently played about this pertod. He looks a very dash- ing Count indeed in baggy white silk breeches, a long sky-blue satin frock coat finished off with a lacc ruffle, and on his head a circular

broad-brimmed “hat of blue satin, adorned

with bluce and

MUSARD (54).

silver striped nibbon and a crown of frilled white muslin.

Monstcur Musard (54), “dressed by Prin-

cess Victoria,” s, 1 think, the only doll with an unmistakable

man’s face. He is evi- dently a clown, and has the brightest of yellow silk pantaloons, bagey sleeves, a short blue silk jacket, and a fasci- nating little lace frill. Some of the lady dancers are charming,. There 1s Mlle. Pauline Duvernay (17). Who doces not remember Thackeray’s raptures about Mlle. Duvernay ? —“When 1 think of Duvernay prancing in as the Bayadere, T say it was a vision of loveli-

ness such as mortal eyes can’t sce nowadays. How well T remember the tune to which

she used

to appear! Kaled used to say to