While she waited in the reception-room, many questions arose in her mind.
Who was this German baroness who had advertised for a lady traveling companion, and had appointed this meeting with her, and with a view to engaging her services?
Was she old, sickly, melancholy, ill-tempered and exacting, as Aunt Sophie, in her tender anxiety for Lilith’s happiness, had feared that she might be?
Or was she young, handsome and fashionable?
Would the companion be required to nurse an aged invalid, or to amuse a young beauty?
While Lilith was anxiously considering these questions, the door opened and a little old gentleman, dressed in clerical black, and having a little, round, gray head like a silver ball and a fresh, rosy face like a baby’s, came bowing into the room, walked up to Lilith, and bowing politely, said:
“Mademoiselle, Madame la Baronne desires that you will ascend to her apartments.”
Lilith arose, trembling, bowed, and followed her conductor to the elevator, which in a few seconds brought them to the second floor.
Here the old gentleman took her out, along a handsomely furnished hall to a pair of folding black walnut doors, beside which sat a servant out of livery, who arose and opened them for the visitor to enter.
Lilith found herself in a spacious apartment, whose first impression was of gloom and splendor. Rich, heavy curtains vailed three lofty front windows; but between their openings long needles of light struck here and there on glowing crimson velvet, or gilded cornices or framework, tall mirrors, elegant vases, filled with rare and fragrant exotics, glimpses of rare pictures, statues, stands of every graceful form, and seats of every luxurious make, and under all a carpet that