Shutting my eyes resolutely on the rarest bits of landscape
caught now and then through a chance opening in the trees, I walked at my
best speed along the drifted road. Esmerelda had described the cottage so
minutely that I had no trouble in recognizing it. Once past the strip of
woodland, a bend in the road brought me at once into a thick cluster of
houses with a few linden trees bordering the street that had given to it
its rather poetical and alliterative name. One house much more
pretentious than the rest, I at once recognized to be Rose Cottage. I
rang the bell and was so quickly admitted, I concluded the tidy looking
little maid had been posted at the door on the lookout for me. I gave her
my card and inquired for Mrs. Le Grande; a formality quite unnecessary,
as she assured me she knew who I was and that the lady was already
waiting for me.
"Just come this way. She has a parlor upstairs; and my! but its a
stunner."
I received the information in perplexed silence. But the little maid
apparently did not look for encouragement, for she continued chattering
until the door of the "stunning" apartment was closed behind her. A
bright fire was burning in the grate at my left. In the swift glance with
which I took in all the appointments of the room I acknowledged that the
girl's description was correct. The walls were lined with pictures which
I could see were gems; rich Turkish rugs concealed the common wood floor;
while on brackets and stands were ornaments of rarest design and
workmanship.
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