It was not yet ten o'clock when he was shown into Madam Gordeloup's presence, and as regarded her dress, he did not find her to be quite prepared for morning visitors.

But he might well be indifferent on that matter, as the lady seemed to disregard the circumstance altogether.

On her head she wore what he took to be a nightcap, though I will not absolutely undertake to say that she had slept in that very head-dress.

There were frills to it, and a certain attempt at prettinesses had been made; but then the attempt had been made so long ago, and the frills were so ignorant of starch and all frillish propensities, that it hardly could pretend to decency.

A great white wrapper she also wore, which might not have been objectionable had it not been so long worn that it looked like a university college surplice at the end of a long vacation.