I lay in a bed curtained with damask, and looked through open glass
doors at a garden. Graveled walks, bosky trees and masses of flowers,
plats of grass where arbored seats were placed, stretched their vista to
a wall clothed in ivy, which proved to be the end of a chapel. For high
over the curtain of thick green shone a rose window. The afternoon sun
laid bare its fine staining, but only in the darkness when the church
was illuminated and organ music rolled from it, did the soul of that
window appear struck through with light.
Strange servants and Doctor Chantry by glimpses, and the old noble and
the Oneida almost constantly, were about me. Doctor Chantry looked
complacently through the curtains and wished me good-morning. I smiled
to see that he was lodged as he desired, and that his clothes had been
renewed in fine cloth, with lawn to his neck and silk stockings for his
shrunk calves. My master was an elderly beau; and I gave myself no care
that he had spent his money--the money of the expedition--on foppery.
Skenedonk also had new toggery in scarfs and trinkets which I did not
recognize, and his fine buckskins were cleaned. The lackeys appeared
subservient to him, and his native dignity was never more impressive
than in that great house. I watched my host and my servant holding
interviews, which Skenedonk may have considered councils, on the benches
in the garden, and from which my secretary, the sick old woman, seemed
excluded. But the small interest of seeing birds arrive on branches, and
depart again, sufficed me; until an hour when life rose strongly.
I sat up in bed, and finding myself alone, took advantage of an
adjoining room where a marble bath was set in the floor. Returning
freshened from the plunge, with my sheet drawn around me, I found one of
those skilled and gentle valets who seem less men than he-maids.
"I am to dress monsieur when monsieur is ready," said this person.
"I am ready now," I answered, and he led me into a suite of rooms and
showed me an array which took my breath: dove-colored satin knee
breeches, and a long embroidered coat of like color, a vest sprigged
with rosebuds, cravat and lace ruffles, long silk stockings and shoes to
match in extravagance, a shirt of fine lawn, and a hat for a nobleman.
"Tell your master," I said to the lackey, "that he intends me great
kindness, but I prefer my own clothes."
"These are monsieur's own clothes, made to his order and measure."
"But I gave no order, and I was not measured."
The man raised his shoulders and elbows with gentlest dissent.
"These are only a few articles of monsieur's outfit. Here is the key. If
monsieur selects another costume he will find each one complete."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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