ut then," said I, "you never had the opportunity to
see her but when she was set out to the best advantage."

"Yes, yes, madam," says she, "I have seen her several times in her
_deshabille_. And I can assure you, she was a very fine woman; and that
which was more still, everybody said she did not paint."

This was still agreeable to me one way; but there was a devilish sting
in the tail of it all, and this last article was one; wherein she said
she had seen me several times in my _deshabille_. This put me in mind
that then she must certainly know me, and it would come out at last;
which was death to me but to think of.

"Well, but, sister," says the captain's wife, "tell my lady about the
ball; that's the best of all the story; and of Roxana's dancing in a
fine outlandish dress."

"That's one of the brightest parts of her story indeed," says the girl.
"The case was this: we had balls and meetings in her ladyship's
apartments every week almost; but one time my lady invited all the
nobles to come such a time, and she would give them a ball; and there
was a vast crowd indeed," says she.

"I think you said the king was there, sister, didn't you?"

"No, madam," says she, "that was the second time, when they said the
king had heard how finely the Turkish lady danced, and that he was
there to see her; but the king, if his Majesty was there, came
disguised."

"That is, what they call incog.," says my friend the Quaker; "thou canst
not think the king would disguise himself." "Yes," says the girl, "it
was so; he did not come in public with his guards, but we all knew which
was the king well enough, that is to say, which they said was the king."

"Well," says the captain's wife, "about the Turkish dress; pray let us
hear that." "Why," says she, "my lady sat in a fine little drawing-room,
which opened into the great room, and where she received the compliments
of the company; and when the dancing began, a great lord," says she, "I
forget who they called him (but he was a very great lord or duke, I
don't know which), took her out, and danced with her; but after a while,
my lady on a sudden shut the drawing-room, and ran upstairs with her
woman, Mrs. Amy; and though she did not stay long (for I suppose she had
contrived it all beforehand), she came down dressed in the strangest
figure that ever I saw in my life; but it was exceeding fine."

Here she went on to describe the dress, as I have done already; but did
it so exactl