room, with its windows opening on the lawn. Only the red upholsteries
there were hideous; she would alter all that. As to the dining
room-well, it was a lovely dining room, eh? What big blowouts you might
give in Paris if you had a dining room as large as that! As she was
going upstairs to the first floor it occurred to her that she had not
seen the kitchen, and she went down again and indulged in ecstatic
exclamations. Zoe ought to admire the beautiful dimensions of the sink
and the width of the hearth, where you might have roasted a sheep! When
she had gone upstairs again her bedroom especially enchanted her. It had
been hung with delicate rose-colored Louis XVI cretonne by an Orleans
upholsterer. Dear me, yes! One ought to sleep jolly sound in such a room
as that; why, it was a real best bedroom! Then came four or five guest
chambers and then some splendid garrets, which would be extremely
convenient for trunks and boxes. Zoe looked very gruff and cast a frigid
glance into each of the rooms as she lingered in Madame's wake. She
saw Nana disappearing up the steep garret ladder and said, "Thanks,
I haven't the least wish to break my legs." But the sound of a voice
reached her from far away; indeed, it seemed to come whistling down a
chimney.

"Zoe, Zoe, where are you? Come up, do! You've no idea! It's like
fairyland!"

Zoe went up, grumbling. On the roof she found her mistress leaning
against the brickwork balustrade and gazing at the valley which spread
out into the silence. The horizon was immeasurably wide, but it was now
covered by masses of gray vapor, and a fierce wind was driving fine rain
before it. Nana had to hold her hat on with both hands to keep it from
being blown away while her petticoats streamed out behind her, flapping
like a flag.

"Not if I know it!" said Zoe, drawing her head in at once. "Madame will
be blown away. What beastly weather!"

Madame did not hear what she said. With her head over the balustrade
she was gazing at the grounds beneath. They consisted of seven or eight
acres of land enclosed within a wall. Then the view of the kitchen
garden entirely engrossed her attention. She darted back, jostling the
lady's maid at the top of the stairs and bursting out:

"It's full of cabbages! Oh, such woppers! And lettuces and sorrel and
onions and everything! Come along, make haste!"

The rain was falling more heavily now, and she opened her white silk
sunshade and ran down the garden walks.