Come, doesn't it all look very pretty?
It isn't gaudy, you know." Indeed that was true; for many of the people were clad in colours that were sober enough, though beautiful, and the harmony of the colours was perfect and most delightful.
I said, "Yes, that is so; but how can everybody afford such costly garments?
Look! there goes a middle-aged man in a sober grey dress; but I can see from here that it is made of very fine woollen stuff, and is covered with silk embroidery." Said Clara: "He could wear shabby clothes if he pleased,--that is, if he didn't think he would hurt people's feelings by doing so." "But please tell me," said I, "how can they afford it ?" As soon as I had spoken I perceived that I had got back to my old blunder; for I saw Dick's shoulders shaking with laughter; but he wouldn't say a word, but handed me over to the tender mercies of Clara, who said-- "Why, I don't know what you mean.

Of course we can afford it, or else we shouldn't do it.

It would be easy enough for us to say, we will only spend our labour on making our clothes comfortable: but we don't choose to stop there.

Why do you find fault with us?
Does it seem to you as if we starved ourselves of food in order to make ourselves fine clothes?
Or do you think there is anything wrong in liking to see the coverings of our bodies beautiful like our bodies are ?--just as a deer's or an otter's skin has been made beautiful from the first?
Come, what is wrong with you ?" I bowed before the storm, and mumbled out some excuse or other.

I must say, I might have known that people who were so fond of architecture generally, would not be backward in ornamenting themselves; all the more as the shape of their raiment, apart from its colour, was both beautiful and reasonable--veiling the form, without either muffling or caricaturing it.
Clara was soon mollified; and as we drove along toward the wood before mentioned, she said to Dick-- "I tell you what, Dick: now that kinsman Hammond the Elder has seen our guest in his queer clothes, I think we ought to find him something decent to put on for our journey to-morrow: especially since, if we do not, we shall have to answer all sorts of questions as to his clothes and where they came from.