The Argosy — page 396: what you’re looking at

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

382 An Unsolved Mystery. Twenty-five years ago this house was tenanted by Miss Steele, an eccentric old lady, who, dying suddenly at the advanced age of ninety- one, her property—including this house and furniture—came into the possession of a married grand-niece living in Kildare, whom she had never seen. The season in Dublin was just commencing about the time that all preliminary law-matters connected with the property were being settled, and the heiress, Mrs. Nugent, acting upon the advice of her lawyer, resolved to let the house furnished. The furniture, although antique, was handsome; especially that of the drawing-room. The walls and ceilings of this apartment were superbly ornamented in the Florentine style. Arabesques on a pale blue ground adorned the ceilings ; the panels of the walls were painted with groups of figures or rare pieces of still-life ; whilst from the mouldings which separated these panels, sprang figures which, bending downwards, held the candelabra lighting the apartment. The furniture was in keeping with the archi- tecture—of inlaid wood, heavy with gilding and upholstered in amber satin ; it was of that stately and old-world type which suggested the days of minuets, apple-blossom sacques, cherry-coloured satin petti- coats, and high-heeled shoes. A spindle-legged spinnet stood near the fireplace, wherein was no grate, but great brass dogs. The fireplace was tiled with the queer little Dutch tiles that came over with the tulips in the days of William and Mary. These tiles bore a succession of Adams and Eves, of Cains and Abels, and other scriptural characters, who looked sadly out of place amongst the nymphs, and satyrs, and similar profanities which surrounded the chamber. The house was no sooner advertised, than it was immediately taken by an officer then quartered in Dublin. Being a man of taste, Colonel Comyers would not allow the house to be remodelled in any way. Mrs. Comyers, too, was 2 woman who liked novelty, and she triumphantly pictured to herself what a delightful sensation her antique-looking drawing-room would create when well lighted up and filled with a fashionable mob. A pretty, piquante little woman, she was enthusiasti- cally charmed, enchanted, with her Irish residence. One day, about the beginning of October, she moved into it, with her two infant children, and two servants that she had brought from England—a cook and a nurse. For the first night she had no other servants in the house. Upon the first evening of Mrs. Comyers’ arrival, her husband was obliged to spend the day and night from home. She amused herself by wandering about the old house, prying into musty cabinets and cup- boards, looking with wondering and admiring eyes upon the rare old Venetian glass and egg-shell china, which scemed almost too fine and too delicate for use. About half-past six o’clock, as she sat in the drawing-room, the nurse entered, saying that it was necessary for her to go out to buy some things urgently required. The woman respect- CORnniclooolkks (CO)