Thick carpets covered the floors, doubled and quilted portieres excluded all draughts from chinks in the doors.

Having allowed his friend a few minutes to contemplate and admire the 'salle a manger' and 'salon' which constituted his more state apartments, Frederic then conducted him into a small cabinet, fitted up with scarlet cloth and gold fringes, whereon were artistically arranged trophies of Eastern weapons and Turkish pipes with amber mouthpieces.
There, placing the Marquis at ease on a divan and flinging himself on another, the Parisian exquisite ordered a valet, well dressed as himself, to bring coffee and liqueurs; and after vainly pressing one of his matchless cigars on his friend, indulged in his own Regalia.
"They are ten years old," said Frederic, with a tone of compassion at Alain's self-inflicted loss,--"ten years old.

Born therefore about the year in which we two parted--" "When you were so hastily summoned from college," said the Marquis, "by the news of your father's illness.

We expected you back in vain.

Have you been at Paris ever since ?" "Ever since; my poor father died of that illness.