I think. Thirdly, she had long been a widow, without any companion of
her own age with whom it would have been natural for her to refer to old
associations, past pleasures, or mutual sorrows. Mrs. Medlicott came
nearest to her as a companion of this sort; and her ladyship talked more
to Mrs. Medlicott, in a kind of familiar way, than she did to all the
rest of the household put together. But Mrs. Medlicott was silent by
nature, and did not reply at any great length. Adams, indeed, was the
only one who spoke much to Lady Ludlow.

After we had worked away about an hour at the bureau, her ladyship said
we had done enough for one day; and as the time was come for her
afternoon ride, she left me, with a volume of engravings from Mr.
Hogarth's pictures on one side of me (I don't like to write down the
names of them, though my lady thought nothing of it, I am sure), and upon
a stand her great prayer-book open at the evening psalms for the day, on
the other. But as soon as she was gone, I troubled myself little with
either, but amused myself with looking round the room at my leisure. The
side on which the fire-place stood was all panelled,--part of the old
ornaments of the house, for there was an Indian paper with birds and
beasts and insects on it, on all the other sides. There were coats of
arms, of the various families with whom the Hanburys had intermarried,
all over these panels, and up and down the ceiling as well. There was
very little looking-glass in the room, though one of the great drawing-
rooms was called the "Mirror Room," because it was lined with glass,
which my lady's great-grandfather had brought from Venice when he was
ambassador there. There were china jars of all shapes and sizes round
and about the room, and some china monsters, or idols, of which I could
never bear the sight, they were so ugly, though I think my lady valued
them more than all. There was a thick carpet on the middle of the floor,
which was made of small pieces of rare wood fitted into a pattern; the