They
were all three dressed in black silk petticoats, over a sort of cambric
chemise, with large frills hanging down at the bosom, but gown, properly
so called, they had none, their arms being unencumbered with any
clothing heavier than a shoulder--strap. The eldest was a fine full
young woman of about nineteen; the second was more tall and stately, but
slighter; and the youngest, was--oh, she was an angel of light--such
hair, such eyes, and such a mouth; then her neck and bosom when the
wearer is, as in the present case she was, young and beautiful. They
all wore a long plain white gauze strap, like a broad ribbon, (little
Reefpoint afterwards said they wore boat pennants at their mastheads,) I
don't know what Madam Maradon Carson would call it, in their hair, which
fell down from amongst the braids nearly to their heels, and then they
replied in their magnificent language, when casually addressed during
dinner, with so much naivete. We, the males of the party, had drank
little or nothing, a bottle of claret or so apiece, and a dram of
brandy, to qualify a little vin--de--grave that we had flirted with
during dinner, when our landlord rose, along with his brother--in--law,
wished us a good afternoon, and departed to his counting house, saying
he would be back by dark, leaving the Captain and I, and friend Bang, to
amuse the ladies the best way we could, as the clerks had taken wing
along with their master.
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