LADY GLENTWORTH'S WEDDING-HAT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1049, 11 February 1911, Page 10

LADY GLENTWORTH'S WEDDING-HAT.

1 Tho first dull days of November had dawned, and Eleanor wanted' a now hat —and mo to choose it with her. Shopping with Eleanor is .not an unmixed joy; it seems to try her temper —almost more than other things. But in tho first placo I knew I should havo to go sooner or later, and uuthe next I felt that if I had to be seen .-with Eleanor in ono of tho new models, I'd rather-chooso it with her. She had begun by asking me to luncheon. There is not infrequently a utilitarian leit-motif in my cousin's invitations. . "It would bo so dear of you," she had rung up.- "I always feel," she added, perhaps not. quite happily, "if you are there I know exactly what not to get. Luncheon at 1.45." I arrived perhaps at 1.47, and found Eleanor had already besun. "What a. pity you're late"—sho looked up from eggs-in-aspie—"be-cause I've told Perry to havo the car here at two, and I quite forgot to let you know." ' : "Oil, never mind," I said amiably, and helped myself to what' remained of the eggs. (I usually havo something at Harrod's before lunching alone with my cousin.) "You see"—Eleanor accepted devilled pheasant. "Don't hurry," she said, "I'll go on. You see, I'm going to the Bell wedding—such a man, my dear! , . . . Tho Bells say he's in the Foreign! Office—l should think he was tho night porter I The wedding's on Saturday, and I don't quite know where to £0 first." .'•'.-■':'

"\Vhy, to the church, I should think," I said in some surprise. "I moan for the hat," Eleanor said coldly. She's a little difficult to follow at times, but she doesn't think so. "Where would you suggest?" Eleanor ■likes to ask advice—so as not to takeit, I sometimes think: ■ -'..

"Well," I said, -. "why not try my' friend Mrs. Masefield?" . • '

"Mrs. Maseficld." Eleanor : . paused in the act of helping herself to a remnant of last night's charlotte-russe. Who on earth is she?" ; , ."'"':'.. "Oh, haven't you'heard?" I- said mildly ;■ "she's quite well known-how; crowds of people go to : her. She used to live at Oxfield:" ' r - '■ .:■;':

"At Oxiicld?"' Eleanor; almost dropped the cream sauce she was pouring over her charlotte-russe. (The oldworld outskirt of London where it suits mo to live does not appeal': to :my cousin.) "Are you jokin', Philippa?" she said. "I "really scarcely quite fancy .Oxfield.'. . ." , ..■-'.-

"Sho doesn't livo there new," I said' patiently, "but in Bruton- Street, and she has no end of orders."

"For the Suburbs, Isupposel/. . ." Eleanor rose. : "Shall we go?" She rang sharply as we left the'dining-room". "Servants live to annoy one, I believe," sho said, crossly.-, "I do so envy you havin' scarcely any. ... Oh!,here is coffee! No" —sho helped: herself, to some—"l don't think I'll try your friend. . ..." - ■' ■'.- .•'■

"Just as you 1ike,"..1- said, "but I know heaps of peoplo iwho go to her; for instance .:'■■''. .

"Oh I no doubt," Eleanor smiled patiently. : "I suppose your Mrs. Masehng callsi herself Cerisette- or Celinette,. or something, from the Rue Royale. That always attracts'a certain class of people." - ■■'.-':•■■. ■" ■'/'•-..'' , ."No," , L I said . coldly; ''Mrs. 'Masefield' : kceps J; heij i: hu'sband's name. ' He died' and left,'her penniless——" I it;pe.arv>M6ar^ , i fi !Hpw''iitrrcsomo those sort' of people'are',"'Eleanor murmured' absently; She' was helping herself - to always do,'; don't they? What is the;matter, Philippa?" as my colour rose abruptly. • "You are touchy . . . I' didn't mean—l'd no idea . . ." Eleanor actually perceived I was put out. •. "Let me see"; ; she pulled herself together for a really sympathetic effort. ".- "Does—does your friend make dog-coats?". ' ■"■■> ':./■'■■' "No, nor dog-biscuits," I said, rising, myself, in my turn. "I- really don!t think," I.began './. :."My; dear- Philippa. .-'•..."•. 'Eleanor put up her lorgnette. "I was only tryin' to be kind.'; Peko wants a new coat, and I always feel one'should help one's own .class. And ; I'm sure your friend is that" (Eleanor always says she can't stand people who have no Tact -."..../ "But I'm afraid we ought [to be goin'; the car's there—but do finish your coffee first." ~; _; ..;"■■ "Where are we going,"then?" I..said later, as we bowled into Bond Street. "Oh! Hollands, of course-". ... . Eleanor in the motor-glass adjusted the veil of large Chantcclairs, that decorated her cheek. "It's .the only place in town." - '■'•' ■ . "Really," I said. "Someone told me there are "five hundred and seventy-two hat shops in the rest of London." "Yes; but nobody goes there!"/ Eleanor smiled at her own repartee. "Thai little Pauline de Gresnes one meets simply everywhere—and everyone's ravin' about—had such a lovely, velvet hat at the Liverpool meeting," she went on. .-.-, . ,■ ' , • "Really?" I said with interest. "With the new pink kid; roses? ; I know." . ■■•.■■ ■-, '„' "Oh! do you—was it in the papers?" (Eleanor has a pleasant habit of as-, suming one knows no one.) "And I thought I'd get one here exactly like hers. Here we are." • "Would it quite suit you, Eleanor?" t said, rather doubtfully, as I followed her into tho hat department; "and I know she . " •'•■■ "Not suit me? Why not?"- Eleanor Pauline is tiny with piquant features. \ and a mass of gold-bronze hair,] and Eleanor—well, Eleanor is different. ."I want"—she sailed resolutely, however, towards the nearest "a three-cornered black velvet hat, with pink kid roses. The Duchess de Gresnes has one' I'm sure she got here —she's so smart," she added graciously.\ •■" ■ ' "'■ .■ : '' : '-'' "La Duchess de Gresnes? C'est possible." The young person' in black satin, with' a sylph-like figure and amazingly Gallic appearance temporised. "We have so .many . customers, madame will understand." She whisked a hat from a stand •-■ close by. "Roses, madame said? This would be the nearest thing we 'ave. Quite the very latest. Hoses are scarcely bienportces. . . -."• ■■■.-.' v "This?" Eleanor eyed a large rosepatterned cretonne shape with a lapis-lazuli-bluo butterfly on it. • "Tho papilion is the very. last!"; ' Eleanor hesitated, put her head on one Bide, then removed her own hat.; "It's not so bad, is it?" sho said, and revolved slowly beforo the glass under the large cretonne-shape. , "N—no," I said. "Rather peculiar,' isn't it? And not in tho least like Madam de Gresnes'!" ■■;".■' _ ; "No moro it is." Eleanor looked at the ticket, while the young French person fetched another novelty. "Fifteen guineas! Monstrous!" She threw; it on to a chair. I breathed again. "Now this is positivement the latest. So chic! Absolutely exclusive." ("And no wonder," I murmured to myself.) "It would suit Madame, but in perfection. . ." ;\ Eleanor frowned, looked at mo, then placed a diminutive jockey-cap of Musquash seal, with a white laco bow on it, on her now flattened looks. "What d'you think of this, Philippa?" She eyed herself, with a ploased smile in tho glass. • . "Well," I said, "of course it's not what you asked for. . . . And it's rather small, isn't it?" I hesitated. "It . looks—so-rwell, so perched up." "Perched up I" Eleanor frowned!

angrily. "Really, Philippa, I must say, you're not much uso. ' i,think it suits ' me." :. ■ .• ■"" / . ""Admirably; it—er—brings out Madame's profile so well. And bo chip, too." "Cheap?" ■':• Eleanor brightened. "How much?" "Quite, quite chip." The sylph-like • young person affected investigation of the lining. "As I thought." Sho looked up with a bright smile. . ""Only nine* guineas!" she said, j "Nino guineas 1 I wouldn't bo found drowned in it." Eleanor cast the ' jockey-cap on to a counter. "Good gracious!" she said, "what's this?" "I don't know if I should show it." The young person, who was advancing another hat, bit her lip." "I will 1" she said, "to Madame. ... But Mrs. John St. John has almost; decideu on it," she said with an air before which. Ananias and Sapphira -would have blushed and " retired: -. ;'•■ "Has she?" Eleanor eyed the large bunch of mixed-fruits- on a magenta- - plaid shape. "What' d'you 'think of : ltf Philippa?" . .V." \.-\;. ; "I should let Mrs. Hepple have'it," I said brutally.. "You know, you' asked for a black'hat with-r—" ". "It does no ..harm : seein? ; other r things," Eleanor said testily; "you are. so_ mattortof-fact, Philippa;- and . I'm sure tryin' on -is tryin' enough as it is '.' --What's this?" v . , .--.. : V .. %."•' ;, ':p : "One.of our less:expensive makes."",. . ....'.' . The.young person -brought - it forward with an air of accommodate ■■'./. ing pity-for those suffering from- wanb ■. of means. "■*■':':'.":■:'-':':.'■ :\ "That's- not so bad," I said;'."it jis ' nice and plain." : .- :■ -■.'■-. '■*f-':'A :,':-■ "How much.is it?".-Eleanor eyed it ' . with disfavour. .::V ''; -■■ ;'.',;•-. '■'■. »:(' ' "That is one of our really chip— -j>l -A. : '"How- much is it?" Eleanor repeated crossly. "Really," "she saidj "I'm sura . I never had such difficulties—r-" ;. ': ; "Five ■■ and "a ,'alf" : guineas, - that, model." The young, person";was growing sulky. -.'/'. ■ v."'"'--'. - "Five.and a half! .Good v heavens I s For that thing 1- Why, there's nothin' on it.". '-..-... .; ;. : ... -.. -~, - r ... "No, but the lino is.good,: Eleanor,"- . I. ventured.'. v ■■ : , -V- 1 -...'. •■'".£.--".'•'. "I'm hot going to pay five guineas for a 'line',", my cousin', said crossly.': • "Eeally, there doesn't' seem ' to' \» t -J.'a,'. : '-. thing,.'after-all/' she said. "Oh, iny': dear," she brightened suddenly, '."here's ' the Duchesse." ■:'.:'-.' :■■ ;V '-.-i. •: Pauline • bustled up smilingly."'- '"I'm' getting woollen gloves here,"; she began.-'; "Ob, ; your; ;..,;-;.",; :. : . _.'::: "I'm so -worried;" ..Eleanor" Inters ■;■'■ rupted her—she'd sank on 4 to a chair./; "Do bo ah angel and teirme—didn'tyou -get. that exquisite ■ J "The black velvet roses?" Pauline laughed. i'EveryoneLadmires it. - Yes?": -. . : 'V; ';- J ;^ : .

■'•'' "Didn't you get-it here?!'? ;■ a r-V; ■ "Here?"- Pauline.■, looked' -carefully.-, round. :"oh,- dear no!" ■'. she/isaid: "I.' never como here for hats. I,can never; find anything here.'Though I'm surey you can," she; added prettilyl she smiled at me, "I go-to, my,, friend Philippa's. friend, Mrs. Masefield—l and - everyone else too, I hear, nowadays..-}, 1." got my famous black sixteen; others!—from her.". ■'• •:'•;; .. : ';:-,', . "Ohl:V ':'/;'.'•' (Eleanor/has; wonder-., r ful. rallying powers, I- will/ say.) / "I I was thinkin' ; of goin' there," she 'said.'i"l never saw anything like this place., i . . -. • I asked for a black shape— somethin' rather in the same style/as. yours (not that I'd copy.it,;of course, ,- dear Duchesse), and they've shown: me a succession ;.of'/absolute- monstrosities.'!. . .. . And such' prices!" • -;,' : "I think you might have? told .me, : s Eleanor said, rather coldly later on a* she swept" downstairs, to the car.;-. ; '*. "I tried to, Eleanor,!', r. said; "but ybukhoW'you don't"always'listen,-and-you seemed "to'have set your.heart on\ ?s''££ ?'Weflf I'll try"your Tilrs.' she said a little ungraciously.' ; -;«|I : sup- - : pose if Paulino de: Gresnes goes there,]. can.";- "; • '■■''■; V.' ; v'" : '-y :?: " : x' : "Well, yes, perhaps said metn«, tativcly." ■■■'•■'-:'•//'■'• '"'"' '■".'' '~ ' m '- i: "I didn't know you knew her, Elea-_ ( nor said after another few moments. ; "Who, Pauline?". I said. "Oh! yes: I've- known her-for. years. .She s com- ■ ing down to stay, with me nest week.! At Oxfield,"!'added "mildly..;,;, :..:.- Eleanor looked out of the.-..cm;.win-dow, but - she didn't say : anything:—•; Mrs. ; George Norman,' in the VWestmia-j ster Gazette.'".-.-'"- V."•-'...; i-. :