Em. looked at these closed shutters with the curiosity and longing of Blue Beard’s wife when the latter contemplated the closed chamber. “Would you like to see inside de house, honey?” demanded the old man. “Oh! would I not?” exclaimed Em. “Well, den you can, honey. De lady as owns it is the most free-hearted lady as ebber you seed. She lets anybody walk ober and ober de island, and t’rough and t’rough de house—less she dere herse’f, honey—den, to be sure, she ’serves her private rooms. You sit down here, honey, at de front door and wait for me, and I’ll go round to de housekeeper’s room, which I knows her, and she’ll let you see de house if she can at my recommend.” “Oh, thank you, dear Uncle ’Sias. I will wait here joyfully until you come back,” eagerly exclaimed Emolyn, as she seated herself on the threshold of the front door. The old man went down the front and around to the rear of the premises, while Em., sitting on the threshold of this fairy palace, let her delighted eyes rove around over rose-wreathed pillars, vine-clad balconies, oriel windows, trellised terraces, flowery lawns, fountains, statues, lakelets, groves and sparkling rivulets running down to the river. After a short absence the old man returned with a single key in his hand, saying, as he twirled it in his fingers: “I can show you de hall and de grand saloon, honey, and de drawing-rooms and library, which are all on dis floor at dis front ob de house; but all de oder rooms are closed and can’t be shown.” “Is the lady at home, then?” inquired Em. “No, honey.” “Then why may we not see the whole of the house?” “I dunno, chile; I didn’t ax her,” replied ’Sias, who was not so much interested in the mystery as was the young questioner. By this time he had slowly unlocked and opened the front door, admitting them into the hall. This hall was circular in shape, spacious in size and lofty in height, reaching from the inlaid white marble floor to the crystal dome that formed the roof and lighted the whole scene. Around the polished white walls of this fair circle were doorways, hung with curtains of blue silk and white lace, leading into many lovely rooms.