agnificence took away the breath of the beholders. The little witch
had combed her hair to the top of her head, and arranged it in a coil,
which gave height and dignity to her figure. A string of pearls was
twisted in and out among the dark tresses; her white silk frock was
mysteriously lengthened and ornamented by two large diamond-shaped
pieces of satin encrusted with gold, one placed at the bottom of the
skirt, and the other hanging loosely from the square-cut neck of the
bodice. Long yellow silk sleeves fell over the bare arms and reached
the ground; and from the shoulders hung a train of golden-hued plush,
lined with a paler shade of yellow. Bassanio and Gratiano stood aghast,
and Portia simpered at them sweetly in the intervals between dispensing
stage directions to the boot boy, who was clad in his best suit for the
occasion, and sent to and fro to change the arrangement of the scenery.
He wheeled the sofa into the centre of the room, piled it up with blue
cushions, and retired to make way for the two ladies, who were already
edging in at the door.

A gasp of astonishment greeted their appearance, but when Peggy dragged
her heavy train across the room, threw herself against the cushions in
an attitude calculated to show off all the splendour of her attire, when
she leant her pearl-decked head upon her hand, turned her eyes to the
ceiling, and said, with a sigh as natural and easy as if they were her
own words which she was using, and not those of the immortal Shakespeare
himself, "`By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is a-weary of this great
world!'"--then the vicar broke into a loud "Hear! hear!" of delight, and
Mrs Asplin seized the poker and banged uproarious applause upon the
fender. For the first few minutes amazement and admiration held her
dumb; but as the girls moved to and fro, and the details of their
costumes became more apparent, she began to utter spasmodic cries of
recognition, somewhat trying to the composure of the actors.

Portia's description of her lovers was interrupted by a cry of, "My
table centres! The Turkish squares I bought at the Exhibition, and have
never used! Wherever did they find them?" while a little later came
another cry, as the identity of the plush train made itself known, "My
_portiere_ from the drawing-room door! My beautiful _portiere_--with
the nice new lining! Oh dear, dear! it's dragging about all over the
dirty carpet! Don't sit on it, dear! For pity's sake,