Nor did the interior sumptuousness of the mansion at all belie
the imposing character of its exterior, for, entering by way of
an illuminated veranda, and so coming into a brilliantly lighted
hallway beyond, Jonathan beheld himself to be surrounded by such
a wealth of exquisite and well-appointed tastefulness as it had
never before been his good-fortune to behold.

Candles of clarified wax sparkled like stars in chandeliers of
crystal. These in turn, catching the illumination, glittered in
prismatic fragments with all the varied colors of the rainbow, so
that a mellow yet brilliant radiance filled the entire apartment.
Polished mirrors of a spotless clearness, framed in golden frames
and built into the walls, reflected the waxed floors, the rich
Oriental carpets, and the sumptuous paintings that hung against
the ivory-tinted paneling, so that in appearance the beauties of
the apartment were continued in bewildering vistas upon every
side toward which the beholder directed his gaze.

Bidding our hero to be seated, which he did with no small degree
of embarrassment and constraint, and upon the extreme edge of the
gilt and satin-covered chair, the negress who had been his
conductor left him for the time being to his own contemplation.

Almost before he had an opportunity to compose himself into
anything more than a part of his ordinary sedateness of demeanor,
the silken curtains at the doorway at the other end of the
apartment were suddenly divided, and Jonathan beheld before him a
female figure displaying the most exquisite contour of mould and
of proportion. She was clad entirely in white, and was enveloped