The Duchesse de Mouchy's costume was a Louis XV. marquise, which did not
suit her at all; neither did the powdered wig nor the black patches on her
face become her.

I must tell you about my dress. It was really one of the prettiest there.
Worth said that he had put his whole soul on it. I thought that he had put
a pretty good round price on his soul. A skirt of gold tissue, round the
bottom of which was a band of silver, with all sorts of fantastic figures,
such as dragons, owls, and so forth, embroidered in different colors under
a skirt of white tulle with silver and gold spangles. The waist was a mass
of spangles and false stones on a gold stuff; gold-embroidered bands came
from the waist and fell in points over the skirt. I had wings of spangled
silvery material, with great glass-colored beads sewed all over them. But
the _chef-d'oeuvre_ was the head-dress, which was a sort of helmet with
gauze wings and the jewels of the family (Mrs. M.'s and mine) fastened on
it. From the helmet flowed a mane of gold tinsel, which I curled in with
my hair. The effect was very original, for it looked as though my head was
on fire; in fact, I looked as if I was all on fire. Before I left home all
the servants came to see me, and their _magnifique_, and _superbe_, and
_etonnant_ quite turned my head, even with the helmet on.

The Emperor and the Duke de Persigny went about in dominos, and flattered
themselves that no one recognized them; but every one did. Who could have
mistaken the broad back and the slow, undulating gait of the Emperor? And
though he changed his domino every little while from blue to pink, and
from white to black, there never was any doubt as to where he was in the
room, and every eye followed him. I was quite agitated when I saw his
unmistakable figure approaching me, and when he began, in a high, squeaky
voice (such as is adopted by masked people) to compliment me on my
toilette, it was all I could do not to make a courtesy. I answered him,