noon
Again in his room , he changed into more formal clothes than on the evening previous ; he did this without a definite , conscious purpose ; it was as if his attitude of mind required a greater suavity of exterior . He wore a London waistcoat , a gift from his mother , of magenta worked with black petals and black stone buttons ; his breeches were without a wrinkle , and the tails of his coat , even if they were not wired like those David was said to have brought from England , had a not unsatisfactory swing . At supper Mrs. Winscombe sat at his left , Caroline and Myrtle had taken their customary places opposite , the elders had not been disturbed . Mrs. Winscombe had resumed the animation vanished at noon . She wore green and white , with plum-coloured ribbons , and a flat shirred cap tied under her chin . The fluted , clear lawn of her elbow sleeves was like a scented mist . He was again conscious of the warm seduction , the rare finish , of her body , like a flushed marble under wide hoops and dyed silk .