In the story it is described as unfurnished--an empty room that Miss Hepzibah was too poor to heat, where Clifford took his exercise on rainy days. Into this room the hero Holgrave drew little Phoebe, that she might not enter the living-room and have the shock of discovering Judge Pyncheon sitting there dead. One forgets about the story in admiring the very happy color scheme of this finely proportioned room. The wall-paper is gray, a reproduction of some wall-paper found in the house. The graceful little classical groups indicate that it was designed in the early part of the last century. Against the gray wall-paper and fine white painted panelling, the red curtains at the three windows are seen in pleasant contrast. They are a wonderfully soft yet brilliant red, with a beautiful brocaded design. A set of Sheraton chairs covered with black figured hair-cloth give character to the room, and the warm Turkey rug on the floor helps to carry out the color scheme. The fireplace in this room is of especial interest. It is large, but the guide opens a wood closet and shows that the original fireplace was very much larger. At the right of the fireplace opens a quaintly panelled door, disclosing a buffet with a carved shell overhead and shelves crowded with delicate and beautiful old china, while on the floor of the closet an array of ginger jars reminds one of the Salem ships that brought home such good things from the East. One is also reminded of the East by the lacquered work-box, chess-board, and teapoys. In front of a slant-top desk stands Hawthorne's favorite chair. It looks so comfortable that we can readily believe that he would select it when making a call on his cousin. Her portrait looks down on the chair. Hers is an unusual face, striking though hardly beautiful. Was she the original of Miss Hepzibah? Her lonely life in this old, gabled house, the wealth of affection she bestowed on a weak and selfish man, certainly suggest that Hawthorne had his cousin in mind when he drew this character. After a lingering inspection of the parlor, which looks so homelike because, like the dining-room, it is really lived in by the settlement residents, the visitor passes out the front door to study the exterior of the house and enjoy the old-fashioned garden. The first object of interest is the overhanging second story. The "overhang," as it is called, was closed in, probably for a century or more, simply because overhangs had gone out of fashion. It was accidentally discovered when the house was repaired by the carpenter, who was examining the soundness of the sills. Some of the old clapboards can still be seen, and a small piece of the drops which originally ornamented the corner posts. The present drops are reproductions, except a bit of the old drops that were left to nail to.