_Tuesday night, May 1, 1860._
... The ball at Alba’s was magnificent. The costumes were unusually
beautiful, many of the women uncommonly pretty, and the audacity of the
age conspicuously evident. First, the ladies were uncovered in a most
outrageous fashion, both above and below. I saw in the waltz a great
number of charming feet and not a few garters. Second, crinoline is on
the decline. You may take my word that in two years gowns will be worn
short, and those blessed with natural advantages may be distinguished
from those who must resort to artificial charms. There were an
incredible number of English present. The daughter of Lord ----, a
charming girl, came as a dryad, nymph, or something mythological, in a
gown which would have revealed her entire bosom if it had not been
covered by tights. Her dress seemed to me almost as low as that of her
mother, whose entire chest was perfectly visible. The ballet of the
_Elements_ was composed of sixteen women, all extremely pretty, wearing
short skirts, and covered with diamonds.
The naiads were powdered with silver, which fell over their shoulders
like drops of water. The Salamanders were sprinkled with gold powder.
There was a Mademoiselle Errazu, who was marvellously beautiful. The
Princess Mathilde came as a Nubian woman, painted a dark brown color,
and with a costume altogether too realistic.
At the height of the ball a domino kissed Madame de S----, who shrieked
aloud. The dining-room, with its gallery, the servants dressed as
sixteenth century pages, and the brilliant lights, all combined to
remind one of Belshazzar’s feast, in Martin’s painting.
The emperor changed his domino, but any one could have recognised him a
league away. The empress wore a white burnoose and a black mask which
did not in the least disguise her.
There were many dominoes, which were for the most part immensely ugly.
The duke de S---- strutted about like a tree, and the imitation was
really excellent. Considering the story told of his wife, the disguise
was a little too conspicuous. If you have not heard the story, here it
is, in a word. His wife, who was a demoiselle (whose mother, by the way,
was to have been my godmother, so I have heard), went to Bapst and
bought a tiara costing sixty thousand francs, saying that she would
return it the following day if she decided not to take it. She returned
nothing, neither money nor tiara. Bapst demanded his diamonds, and was
told that they had departed for Portugal, and, to make the story short,
they were found finally at the _Mont-de-Piété_, where the _duchesse
de_ ---- reclaimed them for fifteen thousand francs. This is highly
commendatory of the times and of women!
Another scandal. At M. d’Aligre’s ball a woman was pinched black and
blue by a husband who was not less muddled in his head than M. de ----,
but who was more violent. The woman screamed and fainted. A general
scene followed! They did not throw the jealous man out of the window,
which would have been the only sensible thing to do. Good-bye.