"What you may be, I neither know nor care," Said Baba; "but pray do as I desire: I have no more time nor many words to spare." "At least," said Juan, "sure I may inquire The cause of this odd travesty?"--"Forbear," Said Baba, "to be curious; 't will transpire, No doubt, in proper place, and time, and season: I have no authority to tell the reason." LXXV. "Then if I do," said Juan, "I'll be----"--"Hold!" Rejoined the negro, "pray be not provoking; This spirit's well, but it may wax too bold, And you will find us not too fond of joking." "What, sir!" said Juan, "shall it e'er be told That I unsexed my dress?" But Baba, stroking The things down, said, "Incense me, and I call Those who will leave you of no sex at all. LXXVI. "I offer you a handsome suit of clothes: A woman's, true; but then there is a cause Why you should wear them."--"What, though my soul loathes The effeminate garb?"--thus, after a short pause, Sighed Juan, muttering also some slight oaths, "What the devil shall I do with all this gauze?" Thus he profanely termed the finest lace Which e'er set off a marriage-morning face. LXXVII. And then he swore; and, sighing, on he slipped A pair of trousers of flesh-coloured silk;[ff] Next with a virgin zone he was equipped, Which girt a slight chemise as white as milk; But tugging on his petticoat, he tripped, Which--as we say--or as the Scotch say, _whilk_,[295] (The rhyme obliges me to this; sometimes Monarchs are less imperative than rhymes)--[fg] LXXVIII. Whilk, which (or what you please), was owing to His garment's novelty, and his being awkward: And yet at last he managed to get through His toilet, though no doubt a little backward: The negro Baba helped a little too, When some untoward part of raiment stuck hard; And, wrestling both his arms into a gown, He paused, and took a survey up and down. LXXIX. One difficulty still remained--his hair Was hardly long enough; but Baba found So many false long tresses all to spare, That soon his head was most completely crowned, After the manner then in fashion there; And this addition with such gems was bound As suited the _ensemble_ of his toilet, While Baba made him comb his head and oil it. LXXX. And now being femininely all arrayed, With some small aid from scissors, paint, and tweezers, He looked in almost all respects a maid,[fh] And Baba smilingly exclaimed, "You see, sirs, A perfect transformation here displayed; And now, then, you must come along with me, sirs, That is--the Lady:" clapping his hands twice, Four blacks were at his elbow in a trice. LXXXI.