was in the Premier's happiest vein. It was mainly about dress. First he touched upon trivial affairs, such as the understanding lately arrived at with Russia regarding China, and then came the important item which' was Dress—male dress and female dress. Especially rationals! He said (spenking of his own sex) that the ugliest dress English gentlemen had ever worn has lasted for fifty years without a change, but that was almost immaterial beside' the fact that the other sex, "in whom wwe had some hope that the cult of beauty lingered still," have. taken to ' rationals." "Tt is my belief," said his Lordship, "if there were any Dante to write an artistic Taferno its lowest circle would be tenanted by the Indies who.dress themselves in the bicycle skirt or knickerbockers." After this will any lady be strong-minded enough to wear such garments I wonder was the Premier present at the private view? I thought the gowns were prettier than any former year within my recollection. There were foulards of all descriptions and lovely crepes and fouls. One of the smartest gowns was worn by Lady Charles Beresford—it was of biscuit coloured cloth with a raised pattern in white running round the skirt and the collar and cuffs were white embroidered in fawn, Nearly all the actors and actresses of note now in London seemed to be present. I noticed Miss Irene Vanburgh in a neat but beautifully cut grey coat and skirt and Miss Pamela Plowden was beautifully dressed in dark blue with hat to match, Skirts were almost universally quite plain at the back—a fashion which to my mind is even less artistic than rationals.
5th May.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.