Next room, through the white door to the
left. Now, sir, we're a-waiting for you! All together, if you
please!"
[Illustration: "All together, if you please!"]
But in spite of the good lady, I generally managed to linger behind,
or run before, and so to look at things in my own way. Once, as she
was rehearsing the history of a certain picture, I made my way out of
the room, and catching sight of some pretty things through an open
door at the end of the passage, I went in to see what I could see.
Some others were following me when the housekeeper spied them, and
bustled up, angrily recalling us, for the room, as we found, was a
private _boudoir_, and not one of those shown to the public. In my
brief glance, however, I had seen something which made me try to get
some information out of the housekeeper, in spite of her displeasure.
"Who are those little girls in the picture by the sofa?" I asked.
"Please tell me."
"I gives all information in reference to the public rooms," replied
the housekeeper, loftily, "as in duty bound; but the private rooms is
not in my instructions."
And nothing more could I get out of her to explain the picture which
had so seized upon my fancy.
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