me. On the floor was an old, old carpet, wondrously darned and
skilfully patched, with all its colours faded into a sweet faint
ghost-like harmony. Several spider-legged, inlaid tables stood
about the room, but most of the chairs were of a sturdier make, one
or two of rich carved work of India, no doubt a great rarity when
first brought to Glenwarlock. The walls had once had colour, but it
was so retiring and indistinct in the little light that came
through the one small deep-set window whose shutter had been
opened, that you could not have said what it was. There were three
or four cabinets--one of them old Japanese; and on a table a case
of gorgeous humming birds. The scarlet cloth that covered the table
was faded to a dirty orange, but the birds were almost as bright as
when they darted like live jewels through the tropical sunlight.
Exquisite as they were however, they had not for the boy half the
interest of a faded old fire-screen, lovelily worked in silks, by
hands to him unknown, long ago returned to the earth of which they
were fashioned. A variety of nick-nacks and ornaments, not a few of
which would have been of value in the eyes of a connoisseur,
crowded the chimney-piece--which stood over an iron grate with
bulging bars, and a tall brass fender. How still and solemn-quiet
it all was in the middle of the great triumphant sunny day--like
some far-down hollow in a rock, the matrix of a gem! It looked as
if it had done with life--as much done with life as if it were a
room in Egyptian rock, yet was it full of the memories of keenest
life, and Cosmo knew there was treasure upon treasure of wonder and
curiosity hid in those cabinets, some of which he had seen, and
more he would like to see. But it was not to show him any of these
that his father had now brought him to the room.

Not once yielding the right hand of the boy which was clasped to