w an artful piece of masquerade to represent old age.
As for her dress, I remember few harder pieces of work than the painting
of it. She wore a silver-gray silk gown that seemed always flashing out
into some new light whenever she moved. It was as stiff as a board,
and rustled like the wind. Her head, neck, and bosom were enveloped in
clouds of the airiest-looking lace I ever saw, disposed about each part
of her with the most exquisite grace and propriety, and glistening at
all sorts of unexpected places with little fairy-like toys in gold and
precious stones. On her right wrist she wore three small bracelets,
with the hair of her three pupils worked into them; and on her left, one
large bracelet with a miniature let in over the clasp. She had a dark
crimson and gold scarf thrown coquettishly over her shoulders, and
held a lovely little feather-fan in her hand. When she first presented
herself before me in this costume, with a brisk courtesy and a bright
smile, filling the room with perfume, and gracefully flirting the
feather-fan, I lost all confidence in my powers as a portrait-painter
immediately. The brightest colors in my box looked dowdy and dim, and I
myself felt like an unwashed, unbrushed, unpresentable sloven.

"Tell me, my angels," said mademoiselle, apostrophizing her pupils
in the prettiest foreign English, "am I the cream of all creams this
morning? Do I carry my sixty years resplendently? Will the savages in
India, when my own love exhibits my picture among them, say, 'Ah! smart!
smart! this was a great dandy?' And the gentleman, the skillful artist,
whom it is even more an honor than a happiness to meet, does he approve
of me for a model? Does he find me pretty and paintable from top to
toe?" Here she dropped me another brisk courtesy, placed herself in
a languishing position in the sitter's chair, and asked us all if she
looked like a shepherdess in Dresden china.

The young ladies burst out laughing, and mademoiselle, as gay as any of
them and a great deal shriller, joined in the merriment. Never before
had I contended with any sitter half as restless as that wonderful
old lady. No sooner had I begun than she jumped out of the chair, and
exclaiming, "_Grand Dieu!_ I have forgotten to embrace my angels this
morning," ran up to her pupils, raised herself on tiptoe before them
in quick succession, put the two first fingers of each hand under their
ears, kissed them lightly on both cheeks, and was back ag