MODERN "RAPE 0. THIS LOCK."

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3715, 12 June 1883, Page 4

MODERN "RAPE 0. THIS LOCK."

Tic-hous..'hold of Her Imperial Majesly the Empress of Austria-Hungary includes a noble'lady Avhose nominal title is that of Coifi'sr de 'V Imperii■trier. This'/rfi-//cV it" mehas, however, no more to do with the Imperial locks than our own Queen's Mistress of tic- Robes has to do with taking care of of the Royal dresses, the dulies of (he post being performed until recently by a Styriau woman, who, having proved v great adopt at, hair-dressing, Avas iv high favor with 11. F.M. Mow far I [or Majesty's favor Avas mispheefl, however, may l>o judged from tho fact that every day, after completing the capillary toilette of her mistress, it was her practice to carefully collect the stray hairs" which had been collected on the comb and put flieiu away in a private drawer. Now, it need hardly be mentioned that the Empress of Austria, possesses oxcopfionally long and abundant locks; and it consequently followed that after sonic years' jealous hoarding her Sfyriun " hair-dresser" found herself iv possession of enough hair to form a. full and handsome rayon-black tress, which, instead of placing at tho Empress's disposal, for possible future use, she proceeded, after certain secret negotiations, to sell for a fancy price to au English, collector of similar trophies, who gladly, it is said, accepted (lie chance of adding such a prize to his .store. Shortly after the sale it. seems (he whole circumstances, thanks to a stupid indis'Tetion on the part of the English collector, was discovered by the Empress the result being, not luiaturally, the immediate dismissal of tho eoijl'euse who had so abused her trust. So far the story is not incredible. But the sequel is rather more diiiieult to believe, for it is to the elfecf, that, willt a view of recovering the purloined tress—for though stolen only a few hairs at a time, it was, to all intents and purposes, stolen—the Austrian Ambassador has been requested to make unefiicial representations io I/sri Granville on Hie subject, 1 hough with what result rumor at, present fails to state. So that gossips aro at present still anxiously awaiting the (Ivntiurmect of the latest edition of a modern " Rape of the Lock." —Figaro.