It was on this morning that a woman of small and compact figure, dressed
in plain green silk, a red India shawl, and a large, odd-shaped straw
bonnet, called a "poke" in those days, on her head, and trimmed inside
with a profusion of artificial flowers, the whole giving her an air of
extreme quaintness, was seen looking up doubtingly at the door opening
to the stairs at the top of which Topman and Gusher had their
counting-rooms. She had the appearance of a woman in good circumstances,
just from the country, where her style of dress might have been in
fashion at that day. Her age, perhaps, was in the vicinity of forty, for
her hair was changing to grey, and hung in neat braids down the sides of
her face, which was round and ruddy, and still gleamed with the
freshness of youth. Her shawl-pin was a heavy gold anchor and chain, and
her wrists were clasped with heavy gold bracelets, bearing a shield, on
which was inscribed a sailor with his quadrant poised, in the act of
taking the sun. I ought also to add that she carried a big umbrella in
her left hand, and a small leathern satchel in her right.
Pages:
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216