obtuse not sharp or pointed; blunt.
hustings here, a political campaign.
crank informal word for an eccentric person.
sententious expressing much in a few words.
décousu (French) unconnected, disjointed.
toilettes (French) here, dress or costume.
interregnum an interval between successive reigns; a period when a country has no leader.
Patti Adelina Patti (1843–1919), a famous coloratura soprano.
