["Paris est le centre du bon goût."—Les Précieuses Ridiculis, Scène X.]
By Jove, what festive tints you wear, chère Madame!
These fin-de-siècle furbelows of la dame
Would scare the very simply dressed Père Adam.
On you they're charming;
But when the fashion spreads to distant quarters,
And far across the Channel's choppy waters
They glow on England's humble, tasteless daughters,
They'll be alarming.
Bright blue, gay green, loud lilac, yelling yellow—