glee maiden, already mentioned, had planted herself where a rise
of two large broad steps, giving access to the main gateway of
the royal apartments, gained her an advantage of a foot and a half
in height over those in the court, of whom she hoped to form an
audience. She wore the dress of her calling, which was more gaudy
than rich, and showed the person more than did the garb of other
females. She had laid aside an upper mantle, and a small basket
which contained her slender stock of necessaries; and a little
French spaniel dog sat beside them, as their protector. An azure
blue jacket, embroidered with silver, and sitting close to the
person, was open in front, and showed several waistcoats of different
coloured silks, calculated to set off the symmetry of the shoulders
and bosom, and remaining open at the throat. A small silver chain
worn around her neck involved itself amongst these brilliant
coloured waistcoats, and was again produced from them; to display
a medal of the same metal, which intimated, in the name of some
court or guild of minstrels, the degree she had taken in the gay
or joyous science. A cmall scrip, suspended over her shoulders by
a blue silk riband; hung on her left side.

Her sunny complexion, snow white teeth, brilliant black eyes, and
raven locks marked her country lying far in the south of France,
and the arch smile and dimpled chin bore the same character. Her
luxuriant raven locks, twisted around a small gold bodkin, were
kept in their position by a net of silk and gold. Short petticoats,
deep laced with silver, to correspond with the jacket, red stockings
which were visible so high as near the calf of the leg, and buskins
of Spanish leather, completed her adjustment, which, though far
from new, had been saved as an untarnished holiday suit, which much
care had kept in good order. She seemed about twenty-five years