Caroline would not part with her room-mate, little Barbara, and was
to have for herself a charming bedroom and dressing-room, with a
balcony and parapet overlooking the garden and park, and a tiny room
besides, for Babie to call her own.
Janet chose the apartments which had been Mr. Barnes', and which
being in the oldest part of the house, and wainscoted with dark oak,
she could take possession of at once. There was one room down stairs
with very ugly caryatides, supporting the wooden mantelpiece, and
dividing the panels, one of which had a secret door leading by an odd
little stair to the bedroom above-—that in which Mr. Barnes had died.
It had of course another door opening into the corridor, and it was
on these rooms that Janet set her affections. To the general
surprise, Elvira declared that this was the very room she had chosen,
with the red velvet curtains and gold crown, the day they went over
the house, and that Mother Carey had promised it to her, and she
would have it.
No one could remember any such promise, and the curtains of crimson
moreen did not answer Elfie's description; but she would not be
denied, and actually put all her possessions into the room.
Janet, without a word, quietly turned them out into the passage, and
Elfie flew into one of those furious kicking and screaming passions
which always ended in her being sent to bed.
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