“You may well reprove me, Georgiana, for being indelicate, but I am not wearing them, merely describing them! Have you any delicate way to explain the fashion of the ladies here?” Georgiana agreed that she had no inclination to attempt to portray the French gowns, as she could see no way to do so with propriety. At length, both Elizabeth and Georgiana decided that the new gowns they had brought from England would do very well, and so gave their custom on that day only to Mme. Milionotte, where they bespoke plain, thick boots lined with lambs’ pelts for their journey over the Alps. Upon rejoining Mr. Darcy at the Hôtel for tea that afternoon, he found that his wife and sister had purchased only boots. “Well, ladies, I am the bearer of the bad news that you are obliged to repeat your errand on the morrow,” said Darcy, removing his gloves and taking a seat at the little table in the smaller of the salons.

“Mr. Darcy, why should such a thing be necessary?” enquired Elizabeth. “I was anticipating the leisure for a later breakfast than we have been used to on the road, and that we may take some time to see the Musée du Louvre.”

“I think you will be willing to change your views when I tell you that, upon arriving at our rooms this afternoon, I saw we had a card from the Duchess d’ A——for a ball, Tuesday next. I am sure this communication must happily over-throw all of your previous ideas about the requirement for new gowns.”

Elizabeth replied that their new-made English gowns would do very well for the purpose, but Mr. Darcy suggested that she and Georgiana might feel more comfortable if they were not seen making their début dressed in any way that could be regarded as exceptional. Elizabeth was about to reply that she felt perfectly equal to the stares of the Parisians, but then, recollecting that Mr. Darcy’s wife and sister should appear in a stile that would do credit to her husband, she made the reply, “I believe you are perfectly right, Mr. Darcy. Georgiana, we can begin to-morrow after a late breakfast. I do not think we had better put it off, as to-day is Wednesday, and so we have only a few days to get our things made up. Would this be agreeable to you, dear?” she asked Georgiana.

At tea, they marvelled at the great variety of comestibles of which the tea was composed. At supper that evening, the etiquette demanded they sample at least twenty different dishes. The Darcys retired that evening, well-supped and ready to retire into clean beds, grateful to be spared the jolting of the carriage for some days.