Up above, on the second floor, two complete suites of
rooms were kept in reserve for the time when the children should have
grown up.
A footman, who knew Mathieu, at once took him upstairs to the cabinet and
begged him to wait there, while Monsieur finished dressing. For a moment
the visitor fancied himself alone and glanced round the spacious room,
feeling interested in its adornments, the lofty windows of old stained
glass, the hangings of old Genoese velvet and brocaded silk, the oak
bookcases showing the highly ornamented backs of the volumes they
contained; the tables laden with bibelots, bronzes, marbles, goldsmith's
work, glass work, and the famous collection of modern pewter-work. Then
Eastern carpets were spread out upon all sides; there were low seats and
couches for every mood of idleness, and cosy nooks in which one could
hide oneself behind fringes of lofty plants.
"Oh! so it's you, Monsieur Froment," suddenly exclaimed somebody in the
direction of the table allotted to the pewter curios. And thereupon a
tall young man of thirty, whom a screen had hitherto hidden from
Mathieu's view, came forward with outstretched hand.
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