In a few minutes he came out attired in his
bathing dress and knocked at the ladies' door. As the damsels were
apparently not ready, he went into the water to wait their coming, and
in due time they sallied forth dressed in thick red baize trowsers and a
short dress of the same colour and material, drawn in at the waist by a
girdle. The gentleman's toilet was coloured trowsers and a tight flannel
jacket without sleeves. He wore no hat, but the ladies had on very
_piquante_ straw hats trimmed with velvet, very like the Nice ones, to
preserve them from a _coup de soleil_. They joined each other in the
water, where they amused themselves together for a long time; a
gentleman friend's presence on these occasions is essential, from the
Atlantic surf being sometimes very heavy; but the young gentleman in
question did not enact the part of Mr. Jacob, of Cromer, not being
professional. The number of bathers is generally very great, though now
the season being nearly over there are not many, but there were still
enough to let us judge of the fun that is said to go on.
There are few guests in this house now. A "hop" was attempted on Friday
evening in the entrance hall, but the unhappy musicians exerted
themselves in playing the Lancers' Quadrilles and all sorts of ugly
jerking polkas without success, although an attempt at one quadrille, we
were told, was made after we had retired for the night.
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