Fiction > Book editions > London, 1888 - Prince Otto

A ROMANCE 187
CHAPTER XI.
PEOVIBENCE VON EOSEN" : ACT THE FIRST : SHE
BEGUILES THE BAEOIS".
At a sufficiently late hour, or to be more exact,
at three in the afternoon, Madame von Eosen
issued on the world. She swept downstairs and
out across the garden, a black mantilla thrown
over hei" head, and the long train of her black
velvet dress ruthlessly sweeping in the dirt.
At the other end of that long garden, and
back to back with the villa of the Countess,
stood the large mansion where the Prime Minister
transacted his affairs and pleasures. This dis-
tance, which was enough for decency by the
easy canons of Mittwalden, the Countess swiftly
traversed, opened a little door with a key,
mounted a flight of stairs, and entered uncere-
moniously into Gondremark's study. It was a
large and very high apartment ; books all
about the walls, papers on the table, papers
on the floor ; here and there a picture, some-