ter this the carriage stopped in a shady place under some
trees, near the entrance to a village. The postilion descended and
opened the carriage door, and then pointed up an avenue of trees, which
he said led to the chateau. Mr. and Mrs. Holiday got out of the carriage
and walked up the avenue. Rollo followed them.

They came at length to the chateau. There was a large portal, closed by
an iron gate. On one side of the portal was a lodge. A porter came out
of the lodge, and Mr. Holiday asked him if they could see the chateau.
He answered very politely that they could; and immediately opening the
iron gate, he ushered the whole party into the court yard.

The court yard was a very pleasant place. It was surrounded on three
sides by the buildings of the chateau, which were quite imposing in
their character, like a palace. The fourth side was formed by a handsome
wall, with a large ornamented gateway in the centre of it, leading into
a garden.

The entrance to the chateau was at a large door in the middle of one
side of the yard. The porter ascended the steps, and rang the bell. He
said to Mr. Holiday that some one would come to conduct the party over
the chateau, and then went back to his lodge.

Presently a well-dressed man came to the door. He received the party in
a very polite and friendly manner, and invited them in.

The first apartment that they entered was a hall. The hall was very
large, and was finished and furnished like a room, with chairs, sofas,
and a great fireplace. On one side was a broad stone staircase,
ornamented with a massive balustrade. The concierge led the way up this
staircase to a sort of gallery on the second story. From this gallery a
door opened, leading to the suite of apartments which Monsieur Necker
and his distinguished daughter had occupied.

The rooms were constructed and arranged in the style common in French
palaces. They were situated in the line of building which formed the
front of the chateau; and on the front side of each of them were windows
looking out upon the lake. Of course these windows formed the range of
windows in the second story of the principal front of the edifice.

On the back side of each of these rooms was a door communicating with
the gallery behind them, or with some subordinate apartments depending
upon them.

Besides these doors, there were others which connected the different
apartments of the suite with each other. These doors were all in a line,
an