“We’ll soon alter this, ’Si,” said Palmer as he went to one of the front windows, threw up the sash, and with some effort withdrew the rusty bolts and opened the heavy shutters. Old ’Sias had meanwhile pushed back the sliding doors across the middle of the room and was now performing the same service at the back windows. And soon floods of light and currents of air poured into the long-disused apartment. “This must have been the ball-room, from its size,” said John, staring down the long saloon that reached the whole length from front to back of the house. “Well, sar, it were mostly used for company and parties.” “You can come in now, Susan; the air is good enough.” The whole troop poured into the room and began to walk about and stare with wide open eyes. The waxed oaken floor had no carpet, or a carpet of thick dust only. The dark, oak-paneled walls were decorated with a few fine pictures, one of which immediately attracted the attention of Em. It hung in a very rich and very dusty gilt frame, between the two front windows, and it reached from the floor to the ceiling. It was the full length, life size portrait of a lady in the costume of the time of Queen Elizabeth—a bright blue satin dress, richly embroidered with silver thread and lavishly trimmed with lace and decked with gems. It was made with the long, tight waist, full, short, puffed sleeves, and high, standing ruff of the period. The hair was dressed in large masses of ringlets on each temple, and surmounted by a close cap of bright blue velvet, embroidered with silver, edged with a row of large pearls, and brought down to a peak on the top of the forehead, and widened out in loops over each mass of curls upon the temples. A mantle of ermine drooped from the graceful shoulders, leaving bare the beautiful neck, framed in with its high standing ruff, and adorned with a necklace of many rows of pearls. Long ear-drops and broad bracelets of pearls completed the set. The background of the picture was the cushioned steps and canopied chair of a throne, and gleaming and glowing with crimson velvet and gold. It was a very gorgeous and brilliant picture, full of light and color. But it was not the rich dress, splendid jewels or royal surroundings of the court lady that held the eyes of the spellbound girl—it was the lovely face! the same in its delicate outlines, fair, spirituelle beauty, clear blue eyes and sunny hair—the very same with that of the white-veiled picture she had seen in the palace on the island. But how different the costume and surroundings! One, adorned with the most superb robes and splendid jewels in the magnificent court of Elizabeth. The other, arrayed from veiled head to hidden feet in spotless white, with nothing but clouds for a background, might have been a spirit or a woman of any time or country. Yet the faces were the same. “Uncle ’Sias,” whispered Em., “can you tell me whose portrait this is?”