The plants in
the window boxes seemed always in bloom, being magically replaced
in the early morning hours when they dared to hint at flagging.
Mrs. Gareth-Lawless, it was said, must be renewed in some such
mysterious morning way, as she merely grew prettier as she neared
thirty and passed it. Women did in these days! Which last phrase
had always been a useful one, probably from the time of the Flood.
Old fogeys, male and female, had used it in the past as a means of
scathingly unfavourable comparison, growing flushed and almost
gobbling like turkey cocks in their indignation. Now, as a phrase, it
was a support and a mollifier. "In these days" one knew better how
to amuse oneself, was more free to snatch at agreeable opportunity,
less in bondage to old fancies which had called themselves beliefs;
everything whirled faster and more lightly--danced, two-stepped,
instead of marching.
Robin vaguely connected certain changes in her existence with the
changes which took place in the fashion of sleeves and skirts
which appeared to produce radical effects in the world she caught
glimpses of. Sometimes sleeves were closely fitted to people's
arms, then puffs sprang from them and grew until they were enormous
and required delicate manipulation when coats were put on; then
their lavishness of material fell from the shoulder to the wrists
and hung there swaying until some sudden development of skirt seemed
to distract their attention from themselves and they shrank into
unimportance and skirts changed instead.
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