Page:Letters from India Vol 2.pdf/109

 only a gauze gown, but a satin slip as well!—things not to be had here now. Such profusion on your part; that blue plaid silk! Ain’t I going to make it up directly? and won't I astonish the King of Lucknow with it? Poor things! we only extracted them from the ship three days ago. Just gave them time to see what a damp furnace Calcutta is, and then put them into camel trunks, to show the species of exercise we take; and eventually they will enhance the appearance of the yellow and elegant female to whom you sent them.

We are decidedly very yellow, but, as it is the prevailing human-creature colour of the country, it would be unpopular to be anything else.

A healthy English person in a hard frost would decidedly look upon us all as half-witted. I heard George say yesterday, when he was asked the name of some individual, ‘I know it very well and have got it at the bottom of my mind; I could tell you by a great effort of memory, but if you don’t very much care I had rather not make it.’ And that is just how we all feel now and then; if there is a glimmering of an amusing idea about one’s brain, it is