Ambassadors' wives and Court ladies used to go to take tea with the fellow, and dispute the honour of filling his cup or putting sugar into it.

I once went into his shop--a sort of drawing-room hung round with dresses; I found him lolling on a chair, his legs crossed before the fire.

Around him were a bevy of women, some pretty, some ugly, listening to his observations with the rapt attention of the disciples of a sage.

He called them up before him like school girls, and after inspecting them, praised or blamed their dresses.

One, a pretty young girl, found favour in his eyes, and he told her that he must dream and meditate several days over her, in order to find the inspiration to make a gown worthy of her.