The Opposite House: A Novel — page 106: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

CHAPTER Xt. TABLEAUX. The room at the right of the wide hall had been fitted up by her excellency, the ambassadress, as a stage. The broad folding-doors were removed, and in their place hung a purple curtain. Cloth dra- peries of the same hue covered the walls on both sides, shining with a subdued glow in the light of the countless gas-jets. The rays flashed from chan- deliers and candelabra, and were reflected a thou- sand-fold in the bronze-framed mirrors. The long suite of apartments was also radiant with light as far as the richly furnished dining-room and the corridors, which skillful hands had converted into veritable arcades of blossoms. Fragrant flowering plants filled the niches and corners, laurel and oleander in graceful groups surrounded the white marble statues, and delicate vines were twined around the pillars of the ball-room and drawn tn garlands to the ceiling. [ 101] Comicbooolk<s C@