The Argosy — page 350: what you’re looking at

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

328 Anne Hereford. rere room. Lady Chandos kindly passed her arm through mine, and Mr. Chandos brought in his sister. It was a pleasant dinner, and a pleasant evening. Emily was on her best behaviour, telling all manner of amusing anecdotes of Paris life to her mother and brother, ignoring me. I listened, and was spoken to by the others now and then. We did not quit the oak-parlour. When dessert was taken, Hickens, the butler, removed it and brought in tea. “After my snug sitting-room up-stairs, the drawing-room is so large,” observed Lady Chandos to me, as if in apology; “I like this parlour best.” Upon retiring to rest, a neat-looking servant, with light hair, whose name I found was Harriet, came to the chintz-room, and asked whether she should do anything for me. She said she was one of the house- maids—there were two besides herself, Lizzy and Emma. Altogether, including the coachman, a helper in the stables, and two gardeners—all four of whom were out of doors, living half a mile away—there were seventeen servants at Chandos. A large number, as it seemed to me, considering the very little attendance that was required of them. I told Harmiet I had been accustomed to wait upon myself, and she retired. But I could not get to sleep. The conversation I had overheard kept haunting me. JI wondered what the mystery could be ; I wondered. whether I should be disturbed in the night by noises, or else. What uncanny doings could there be in the house ?—what unseemly inmates, rendering it inexpedient that a stranger should share its hospitality ? Was it really tenanted by ghosts ?—or by something worse? At any rate, they did not molest me, and my sleep at last was tranquil. We went down the following morning at half-past eight; Emily in a white dimity robe ofno shape, but tied round the waist with a scarlet cord, the effect altogether rather untidy; I in a mauve-coloured muslin, with ribbons of the same shade ; and found Lady and Mr. Chandos waiting breakfast in the oak-parlour. The panels of this room were of alter- nate white and carved oak, with a great deal of gilt about both; it had a most unusual appearance; I had never seen anything like it before. The ceiling was white, with gilt scrolls round, and cornices. The large chimney-glass was in a carved oak frame, gilded in places to match the walls; the slanting girandole opposite the window, reflecting the green grass and the waving trees in its convex mirrored surface, had a similar frame. ‘The chandelier for the wax lights was of gilt, also the branches on the mantelpiece, and those of the girandole. It was a pleasant room to enter—as I thought that moming. The oak-brown silk curtains, with their golden satin-wrought flowers, were drawn quite back from the windows, which were thrown open to the lovely morning air ; a bright fire burnt 1n the grate opposite the door; the breakfast-table with its snow-white linen, its painted Worcester china, and its glittering silver, was in the middle. Easy-chairs stood about the room, a sofa against comicloooks (CO) - , _