'With head uncover'd the cosmetic powers.'

"But you don't paint--no matter--you will--you must--every body must,
sooner or later. In the mean time, whenever you want to send a note that
shall not be opened by _the bearer_, put your trust neither in wafer nor
wax, but twist it as I twist mine. You see I wish to put you in possession
of some valuable secrets before I leave this world--this, by-the-bye, I
don't, upon second thoughts, which are always best, mean to do yet. There
certainly were such people as Amazons--I hope you admire them--for who
could live without the admiration of Belinda Portman?--not Clarence
Hervey assuredly--nor yet

"T. C. H. DELACOUR."

Belinda obeyed the summons to her ladyship's dressing-room: she found Lady
Delacour with her face completely repaired with paint, and her spirits
with opium. She was in high consultation with Marriott and Mrs. Franks,
the milliner, about the crape petticoat of her birthnight dress, which was
extended over a large hoop in full state. Mrs. Franks descanted long and
learnedly upon festoons and loops, knots and fringes, submitting all the
time every thing to her ladyship's better judgment.

Marriott was sulky and silent. She opened her lips but once upon the
question of laburnum or no laburnum flowers.

Against them she quoted the memoirs and authority of the celebrated Mrs.
Bellamy, who has a case in point to prove that "straw colour must ever
look like dirty white by candlelight." Mrs. Franks, to compromise the
matter, proposed gold laburnums, "because nothing can look better by