The large dining-hall, wainscoted with
polished marble in the style of the Italian palaces, whose painted
ceiling was supported by fluted columns, was lighted by a superb
chandelier with hundreds of wax candles, and contained a long table
very richly set. Silver ornaments, exquisitely wrought, adorned the
centre and the ends. The china, the array of glasses of all shapes
which stood beside each plate, bore the initial of the master of the
house, without any heraldic addition which might recall the recent
elevation of rank, a graceful bit of coquetry on the part of a man who
had been successful in life, but who was no upstart. At every plate
was also placed a bouquet, in a holder representing a crystal lily with
a silver cup. The company harmonized with the luxurious environment.
The married ladies attracted the eye by their elegant toilettes and
rich jewels, the young girls--among whom were several of bewitching
beauty and freshness--in simpler costumes, with flowers in their hair,
by their natural charms. Even among the monotonous black dress coats
of the men, an eye which took pleasure in colour found some degree of
satisfaction in the gay uniforms of several Bavarian and Russian
officers.
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