They entered first a red salon with windows opening on to the
balcony and in which the all-pervading scent of ylang-ylang betrayed
that it was the favorite apartment of the lady of the house. She did
not keep Wilhelm long in this dainty bower, but drew him into the
large bedroom adjoining. The walls were draped with Japanese silk,
patterned with strange landscapes, fabulous flowers, gay-colored
birds on the wing, and a network of twining creatures, and drawn
together at the ceiling like the roof of a tent. Out of the soft
folds of the center rosette hung a lamp with golden dragons on its
pink globe. There was a wardrobe with looking-glass doors, a
toilette table, an immense bed of carved ebony inlaid with scenes
from the antique in ivory, and chairs covered with Persian stuffs.
Beside all this there was an old oak Gothic priedieu, a small altar
draped in rose color and white lace, a mass of flowers, and numerous
crucifixes and Madonnas of various sizes in silver, ivory and
alabaster.
"Are you so devout? That is news to me," exclaimed Wilhelm,
surprised. He little knew that the first thing Pilar had done on
entering the house was to hasten to her bedroom, kiss the holy
silver Madonna del Pilar with deepest devotion, and kneel for a few
moments on her priedieu.
Pages:
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456