Meander, long quotations from his own muse and that of
Rossetti, a little Shelley, a little Keats, a good deal of Swinburne.
The festivities were late on this second evening, as Mr. Smithson had
invited a good many people from the neighbourhood, but the house party
were not the less early on the following morning, which was the first
Henley day.
It was a peerless morning, and all the brasswork of Mr. Smithson's
launch sparkled and shone in the sun, as she lay in front of the
terrace. A wooden pier, a portable construction, was thrown out from the
terrace steps, to enable the company to go on board the launch without
the possibility of wet feet or damaged raiment.
Lesbia's Chaumount costume was a success. The women praised it, the men
stared and admired. The dark-blue silken jersey, sparkling with closely
studded indigo beads, fitted the slim graceful figure as a serpent's
scales fit the serpent. The coquettish little blue silk toque, the
careless cluster of gold-coloured poppies, against the glossy brown
hair, the large sunshade of old gold satin lined with indigo, the
flounced petticoat of softest Indian silk, the dainty little
tan-coloured boots with high heels and pointed toes, were all perfect
after their fashion; and Mr.
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