She took up her book again, and he resumed his writing, and for some
time there was silence. But Ideala's attention wandered. She began to
examine the room, which was, as usual, in a state of disorder. One side
of it was lined with cabinets of various sizes and periods. Labels
indicated the contents of some of them. Only one picture hung on that
side of the room--it was the portrait of a gentleman--but several
others stood on the ground against the cabinets. The walls were painted
some dark colour. A Japanese screen was drawn across the door, and
beside it was a hard narrow settee covered with dark green velvet.
Books were piled upon it, and heavily embroidered foreign stuffs, and
near it a number of Japanese drawings stood on a stand. The mantelpiece
was crowded with an odd mixture of china and other curios, all looking
as if they had just been unpacked. Above it another picture was hung, a
steel engraving. The writing-table by which they sat was nearly in the
middle of the room. In the window was another table, covered also with
a miscellaneous collection of curios; and on every other available
article of furniture books were piled.
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