This was the finishing touch, and Pilar would trust no hands but her own with the delicate task. It was like crowning a queen. She lifted the hat and placed it carefully on her friend’s head. What a result! what a success! what a triumph of the æsthetic arts! María was dressed. Complete and perfect in fashion and style! A fashion plate of flesh! Indeed, as she stood, she seemed the ideal and type of good taste; of that perfection of dress combined with the perfection of beauty which produce those distracting charms to which the prudence, the dignity, and sometimes the wealth and salvation of men are sacrificed. Alas! poor Adam! to think that there was a time when for full-dress you had only to pluck a leaf from the first fig-tree!
“Now I am going,” said Pilar. “I have seen the effect; to-morrow I will come back and dress you myself. I leave you everything complete: shoes, stockings—look what pretty ones—take the blue pair. Will my shoes fit you? I think so. Here are a pair of high boots and a pair of shoes.... I have even brought you gloves, for, if I am not mistaken, you have none.—Good-bye till to-morrow.”
She kissed her noisily and whispered in her ear: “To-morrow will be a day of trial for you. I will order tapers to be lighted before the Holy Picture in San Prudencio—but the Lord will uphold you, poor dear saint and martyr! By the way, my dear, the ceremony at San Lucas’ to-day had all that aspect—that veneer, so to speak—of vulgar display that sticks to everything that Antoñita de Rosafría takes in hand. You should have seen the hangings and the flags! It was like a political demonstration. If they had struck up Riego’s hymn, I should not have been astonished. And, oh, my dear, what a sermon! You should hear that man’s squeaky voice! As for edification!—Well, I must not stay any longer; it is growing late. Good-bye. But one thing strikes me: shall I have tapers lighted before Our Lady of Sorrows?”
“Yes,” said María eagerly, “Our lady of Sorrows.”
“Good-bye Milagros; to-night I have my place at the opera; I shall be in time for two acts of The Huguenots.... To-morrow then, at noon.”
“At noon, and bring Juana—I will bring my dressing-case, for in this house there is not even a powder puff.”
“Good-night—good-night.”