that
they were suits of armour, indeed, but without men inside of them--just
such as one sees standing about in the ancient royal palaces of France.
Passing them with a saucy glance of defiance, and a little triumphant
toss of the head, Isabelle entered a vast dining room, with tall,
sculptured buffets, on which stood many superb vessels of gold and
silver, together with delicate specimens of exquisite Venetian and
Bohemian glass, and precious pieces of fine porcelain, fit for a king's
table. Large handsome chairs, with carved backs, were standing round the
great dining-table, and the walls, above the heavy oaken wainscot, were
hung with richly embossed Cordova leather, glowing with warm, bright
tints and golden arabesques.

She did not linger to examine and admire all the beautified things dimly
revealed to her by the feeble light of her small lamp, but hurried on
to the third door, which opened into an apartment yet more spacious
and magnificent than the other two. At one end of it was a lordly dais,
raised three steps above the inlaid floor, upon which stood a splendid
great arm-chair, almost a throne, under a canopy emblazoned with a
brilliant coat of arms and surmounted by a tuft of nodding plumes. Still
hurrying on, Isabelle next entered a sumptuous bed-chamber, and, as she
paused for an instant to hold up her lamp and look about her, fancied
that she could hear the regular breathing of a sleeper in the immense
bed, behind the crimson silk curtains which were closely drawn around
it. She did not dare to stop and investigate the matter, but flew on her
way, as lightly as any bird, and next found herself in a library, where
the white busts surmounting the well-filled book-cases stared down at
her with their hard, stony eyes, and made her shudder as she nervously
sought for an exit, without delaying one moment to glance at the great
variety of curious and beautiful objects scattered lavishly about,
which, under any ordinary circumstances, would have held her enthralled.

Running at right angles with the library, and opening out of it, was
the picture gallery, where the family portraits were arranged in
chronological order on one side, while opposite to them was a long row
of windows, looking into the court. The shutters were closed, but near
the top of each one was a small circular opening, through which the moon
shone and faintly lighted the dusky gallery, striking here and there
directly upon the face of a portra