'
Mr. Waffles was a 'pretty man.' Tall, slim, and slight, with long curly
light hair, pink and white complexion, visionary whispers, and a tendency
to moustache that could best be seen sideways. He had light blue eyes;
while his features generally were good, but expressive of little beyond
great good-humour. In dress, he was both smart and various; indeed, we feel
a difficulty in fixing him in any particular costume, so frequent and
opposite were his changes. He had coats of every cut and colour. Sometimes
he was the racing man with a bright-button'd Newmarket brown cut-away, and
white-cord trousers, with drab cloth-boots; anon, he would be the officer,
and shine forth in a fancy forage cap, cocked jauntily over a profusion of
well-waxed curls, a richly braided surtout, with military overalls strapped
down over highly varnished boots, whose hypocritical heels would sport a
pair of large rowelled long-necked, ringing, brass spurs. Sometimes he was
a Jack tar, with a little glazed hat, a once-round tie, a checked shirt, a
blue jacket, roomy trousers, and broad-stringed pumps; and, before the
admiring ladies had well digested him in that dress, he would be seen
cantering away on a long-tailed white barb, in a pea-green duck-hunter,
with cream-coloured leather and rose-tinted tops.
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