But when they got to the dining-room she was enchanted. That
lofty and magnificent _salon,_ with its daring mixture of red and black,
and green and blue, all melted into harmony by the rivers of gold that
ran boldly among them, went to her very heart. A Greek is half an
Oriental; and Zoe had what may be called the courage of color.
"Glorious!" she cried, and clasped her hands. "And see! what a background
to the emerald grass outside and the ruby flowers. They seem to come into
the room through those monster windows."
"Splendid!" said Harrington, to whom all this was literally Greek. "I'm
so excited, I'll order dinner."
"Dinner!" said Zoe, disdainfully; and sat down and eyed the Moresque
walls around her, and the beauties of nature outside, and brought them
together in one picture.
Harrington was a long time in conclave with M. Chevet. Then Zoe became
impatient.
"Oh, do leave off ordering dinner," said she, "and take me out to that
other paradise."
The Chevet shrugged his shoulders with pity. Vizard shrugged his too, to
soothe him; and, after a few more hurried words, took the lover of color
into the garden. It was delicious, with green slopes, and rich foliage,
and flowers, and enlivened by bright silk dresses, sparkling fitfully
among the green leaves, or flaming out boldly in the sun; and, as luck
would have it, before Zoe had taken ten steps upon the greensward, the
band of fifty musicians struck up, and played as fifty men rarely play
together out of Germany.
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