She had left Mary in a deep chair in the big drawing-room.

Outside were the boughs of trees.

From the windows you could surprise the secrets of the birds if you would.
The room was very spacious, with chairs and sofas round the walls, a great mirror at either end, a paper on its walls which pretended to be panels wreathed in roses.

The ceiling had a gay picture of gods and goddesses reclining in a flowery mead.

The mantelpiece was Carrara marble, curiously inlaid with coloured wreaths.