57
impudence, pushing our way towards the rostrum and trust-
ing to chances.   An attendant got seats for Haney and Cahill; I es-
consed myself on the steps beside the lecturer, where I was closer
to her (and more generally prominent) than the rest of the audience.
So I had a good look at Lola.  She must have been exceedingly
handsome, is now a trifle passee, has very fine dark eyes, nose
just a little bit acquiline, good profile, beautiful throat and
black hair.   She was drest in exquisite taste, black velvet,
not low in the neck, with white-lace berthe or collar, or whatever
the women call it.   The graceful slope of her back and full-
though not crinolinely-vulgarized-redundant-swell of skirt
was as Parisian as though she�d stept out of Gavarni.  She
has a pleasant voice, indicative, though, of latent shrewishness
when she grows excited; and speaks with a French accent.   The
lecture �On the Wits and Women of Paris� was amusing, dis-
cursive, ungrammatical, immethodical and anecdotal.  You
could read the woman very well through it. (She does write her
own lectures.)   Her admiration of Dumas, Mery &c and their
free and easy lives, gettings into debt and theatrical generosities
was very characteristic.   She quoted a very ^|un-|equivocal answer
of � I think � Dejazet�s the actress, who being questioned as to
how she had acquired such formative, jewelry &c said It
was the result of a thousand and one nights.   The audience were
hardly quick-witted enough to catch this.       She pitched into Ameri-
can ladies respecting there love of dress � whereat some of them
scowled and the men applauded.             Parton, Fanny Fern &
her daughter were present in the gallery, though we didn�t perceive
them.                Here�s a story or two of Lola, from Clapp who
knew her in Paris and visits her now.           In order to avoid the