It was a
unique experience. We spent the morning seeing the town, an immense
busy place with colossal blocks of houses, and some really fine
architecture, all giving the impression of a mighty prosperous and
advancing nation, and quite the best shops one could wish for, not too
crowded, and polite assistants--even at the ribbon counter!
Octavia and I made ourselves look as smart as we could in travelling
dresses, because there would be no time to change after the lunch; we
had to go straight to the train. I always think it is such impertinence
imposing your customs upon other nations when you are travelling among
them, like the English people who will go to the Paris restaurants
without hats, and one Englishwoman we met at a party at Sherry's in New
York in a draggled tweed skirt and coat, when all the other women were
in long afternoon dresses. One should do as one's hosts do, but we
could not help it this time and did not look at all bad considering.
However, when we got there we felt we were indeed out of it! But I must
begin from the very door-step.
We drove a little way beyond the town to rows of dwelling mansions more
or less important and growing in magnificence until we arrived at one
inside some gates, a cross between a robber's castle on the stage, and
a Henri III.
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