well-gaitered

[PINKGREAT]

Dear experts,

What does 'well-gaitered Bishop' mean?

Thanks in advance,

Olga

[Delmobile]

It means he was impressively turned out in something like this, a covering for the lower leg that buttoned up the side. They're "largely obsolete" now and probably were beginning to become so when this book was written---yet another example of how Bertram's Hotel is a "throwback" to earlier times. They date from a time when bishops did their work on horseback.

Tourist in Gaiters - TIME (note date of article!)