The Sun.
London, England, 1840-04-06 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER COURT OF
REQUESTS.

" THE FAULTY CAP."

Mrs. Mary Beauchamp, an exceedingly pretty and
lady-like woman, was summoned by Mrs. Daubigney
for 2.‘25. the price of a lace cap supplied to her by the
latter, hut to which she, Mrs. Beauchamp, had certain
fatal objections.
Mrs. Daubigney, upon being requested to xt:lte her
case, simply observed that the cap had been ord red by
Mrs. Beauchamp, who, when it was sent home, .refused
to keep it, alleging that it did not become her.
" I alleged what was quite true, Mrs. Dau'b' gney,"
said Mrs. Beauchamp, " for the cap was etv a very
opposite to becoming."
Mrs. Daubigney—l am sure I thought it at n azingly
becoming.
Mrs. Beauchamp (smiling)—You (latter me. It was
amazingly wanting in taste.
Mrs. Daubigney—Oh ! ma'am, I was never before
considered to be wanting in a knowledge of my 1 easiness.
Mrs. Beauchamp—l really must say I consider you
to have not only evinced a sad want of taste, butt shown
yourself most inattentive to what constitutes tb e chief
excellence of your business.
Mrs. Daubigney (pertly)—lndeed, ma'am. Pray,
may I ask what that is, for I should much like to know,
if its only by the way of instruction ?
Mrs Beauchamp—Attention to your custo users' po-
sitive directions.
" Dear me," said Mrs. Daubigney, somewhat alarmed,
" if artistes did that literally and servilely, we should
have no opportunity of displaying taste and knowledge
in one's profession."
Mrs. Beauchamp—l wanted a cap to suit: my taste,
not yours.
Mrs. Daubigney lifted up her hands and her eyes,
and then stole a look at Mrs. Beauchamp as if the
latter had spoken heresy.

Mrs. Beauchamp (addressing herself to -the Com-
missioners)—l desired Mrs. Daubigney to I:t the bor-
ders of the cap to be narrow on the forth, !ad, with a
small delicate flower immediately over the eye, right or
left, as she pleased, and that the lace should gradually
fall from the ear to the chin. But in the ( überance
of her taste Mrs. Daubigney has sent me h cyme a cap
with an enormous rose in the middle of the forehead,
and two others equally enormous, one to a ccompany
each eye, and the border she has made extr e mely full,
'till it comes down to the ears, whence it n. arrows off
to the chin, where she has left scarcely any Is .ce at all.
" And no milliner at the west-end," said Mrs. Dau-
bigney, who was getting out of temper, " 'could more
tastefully suit a cap to your features and com,olexion."
" Have you the cap here, Mrs. Beau amp ?" in-
quired one of the Commissioners.

Mrs. Beauchamp—l have, sir.
" And I hope," quickly observed Mrs.. Daubigney,
" that the Court will require you to put it fon."
" If you have no objection," said one of the Commis-
sioners,bowing with much politeness to Mrs.. Beauchamp.
" None whatever," observed the lady, who immediately
took off her bonnet for the purpose.
Now Mrs. Beauchamp, as it has been observed, was
an exceedingly pretty, not to say beau tiful, woman,
with a fine pale Grecian countenance ; bait if she had
been as beautiful as Hebe, Mrs. Dau.bigney's cap
would have eclipsed all her loveliness. if one may
be allowed the simile, the putting on the cap was like
admitting the light of the sun through a hole in a
blanket. Imagine the calm and beautiful countenance
of a Grecian beauty, smothered in the fro Ith of a pot of
vulgar porter, an electioneering bunch of glaring riband
stuck on each side of her head, and a hug :e red cabbage
on the top of it, and you will have in yoi ir mind's eye
something like an idea of the picture th at the coun-
tenance of the pretty Mrs. Beauchamp pn ssented to an
admiring Court. In fact the Court could not stand
the exhibition ; it burst out into a titter, in. which Mrs.
Beauchamp found it impossible to refrain fri nil indulging.
" Really, Madam," said a Commission e..r, " I must
admit that you have some reason to complain •of the cap."
" Why, indeed, I think all you gentlemen," said Mrs.
Beauchamp, " must perceive that it is not q uite so be-
coming as Mrs. Daubigney would have me belie re it."
" Pray who made this cap?' asked a Cr m rmissioner,
who appeared to be admiring the three huge r uses upon it.
Mrs. Daubigney (quite losing her temp e-r)—l did.
None of my people had anything to do with it. It was
the first order that I had of the lady, and the: first orders
I always make up myself.
A COMMISSIONER—And you have satisfi, !.d only your-
self, for the lady might as well wear the hat of a Green-
wich pensioner as such a cap (reaching it from off the
table, and dangling it at arm's length.)
Mrs. Daubigney (passionately)—l don't. think, Sir,
that you know anything about a cap.
The COMMISSIONER (laughing)—Certaii:nly not, but
we married men must be allowed to be am lost as good
judges as the ladies themselves whether caps are becom-
ing or not. I'm afraid the Court will decide against you.
Mrs. Daubigney—What! after I half e had the
trouble of making it myself—a thing I halve not done
for many a day.
The COMMISSIONER-Then you have not-, I am sorry
to say, had a new customer very lately.
Mrs. Daubgney bit her lip. The °lnt rvation told
against her popularity in the cap way, and :she felt it.
Mrs. Beauchamp said she was willing to allow Mrs.
Daubigney to make another cap for her, if she would
make it as she (Mrs. Beauchamp ) unshed, " and
not such a frightful thing as this," taking the cap from
the table, where the Commissioner had th.ro wn it.
" Neter," said Mrs. Daubigney, rendered quite
rious at the exhibition of the cap in C,stut ; " never,
you fantastic madam, and your insults arc more wel-
come than your custom." And with that. the " taste-
ful " Mrs. Daubigney caught up her cap:, and rushed
out of Court, turning up her nose at (it was what By-
ron terms a sentimental one) and showinz her teeth to
the Commissioners.