But perhaps Tom was most proud of his periwig--an addition to his
outfit which he had insisted upon rather against the advice of
Cale, who had offered to curl and powder his own hair in an
imitation of the prevailing mode. But Tom would not be denied the
fashionable peruke. He had spent the best part of each day seated
behind a screen in Cale's inner shop, listening in a species of
fascination and amaze to the talk of the young dandies who daily
resorted thither. Cale told him that he would thus best learn
something of the language and gossip of the day, and be better able
to hold his own when he went abroad; and Tom already felt that he
possessed command of a thousand new epithets and words, to say
nothing of the meaningless oaths and blasphemies, which made a part
of the stock in trade of every fashionable man's vocabulary.
And now he stood regarding himself with complaisant satisfaction,
feeling that he could ruffle it with the best of them. He had heard
too much talk of periwigs not to feel resolved to wear one himself.
Unless he did so, he felt he should never take his place in the
world of fashion. His natural hair had therefore been cut close to
his head, the peruke was fitted on, and fell in bushy curls to his
shoulders.
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