orhood that he had seldom, if ever,
visited before.

The dwelling he sought, proved to be a common brick house, without any
peculiar feature to distinguish it from some twenty others, which
completed a block, that stood close upon the street, and had a dusty,
worn appearance, without a picturesque feature to attract attention.

General Harrington advanced up the steps, after a little disgustful
hesitation, and rang the bell. The door was promptly opened, and an
ordinary maid-servant stood in the entrance. The General inquired for
some person in a low voice, and the girl made room for him to pass, with
a nod of the head.

The hall was dark and gloomy, lighted only by narrow sashes each side of
the door, and the whole building so far, presented nothing calculated to
remove the distaste with which the fastidious old man had entered it.

The servant opened a door with some caution, closed it behind her, and
after a little delay, returned, motioning with her hand that General
Harrington should enter the room she had just left.

With this rather singular summons the woman disappeared, and General
Harrington entered the door she had pointed out. It was a large room,
lighted after the usual fashion in front, and with a deep long window in
the lower end. This magnificent window occupied the entire end of the
room, save where the corners were rendered convex by two immense
mirrors, which formed a beautiful finish to the rich mouldings of the
casement, and curved gracefully back to the wall, making that end of
the apartment almost semicircular.

Hangings of pale, straw-colored silk, brocaded with clusters of flowers,
in which blue and pink predominated, gave a superb effect to the walls,
and from the ceilings, a half-dozen cupids, beautifully painted in
fresco, seemed showering roses upon the visitor, as he passed under. The
carpet was composed of a vast medallion pattern upon a white ground,
scattered over with bouquets a little more defined and gorgeous than
those upon the walls, as if the blossoms had grown smaller and more
delicate as they crept upward toward the exquisite ceiling. The front
windows were entirely muffled by draperies of rich orange damask, lined
with white, and with a silvery sheen running through the pattern, while
curtains of the same warm material, fell on each side the bay window,
giving it the appearance of a tent, open, and yet, to a certain degree,
secluded, for a fall of lace swept from the corni