Griselda hesitated.
"Go on," said the cuckoo, patronizingly; "ladies first." Griselda went on.

To her surprise, inside the cabinet it was quite light, though where the light came from that illuminated all the queer corners and recesses and streamed out to the front, where stood the mandarins, she could not discover.
The "palace" was not quite as interesting as she had expected.

There were lots of little rooms in it opening on to balconies commanding, no doubt, a splendid view of the great saloon; there were ever so many little staircases leading to more little rooms and balconies; but it all seemed empty and deserted.
"I don't care for it," said Griselda, stopping short at last; "it's all the same, and there's nothing to see.

I thought my aunts kept ever so many beautiful things in here, and there's nothing." "Come along, then," said the cuckoo.

"I didn't expect you'd care for the palace, as you called it, much.