rm
and in parties of three or four lined the roadway, or wandered up and
down in search of some distraction to the deadly _ennui_ of their
lives now that their soldier occupation was gone, vouchsafing neither
glance nor salutation to their Yankee conquerors, no matter what the
rank, until the wives and daughters of American officers began to arrive
and appear upon the scene, when the disdain of both sexes speedily gave
way to obvious, if reluctant, curiosity.

South of the walls and outworks of Old Manila and east of the Luneta lay
a broad, open level, bounded on the south by the suburb of Ermita, and
in the midst of the long row of Spanish-built houses extending from the
battery of huge Krupps at the bay-side, almost over to the diagonal
avenue of the Nozaleda, stood the very cosey, finely furnished house
which had been hired as quarters for Colonel Brent, high dignitary on
the department staff.

Its lower story of cut stone was pierced by the arched drive-way through
which carriages entered to the _patio_ or inner court, and, as in the
tenets of Madrid the Queen of Spain is possessed of no personal means
of locomotion, so possibly to no Spanish dame of high degree may be
attributed the desire, even though she have the power, to walk.

No other portal, therefore, either for entrance or exit, could be found
at the front. Massive doors of dark, heavy wood from the Luzon forests,
strapped with iron, swung on huge hinges that, unless well oiled, defied
the efforts of unmuscular mankind. A narrow panel opening in one of
these doors, two feet above the ground and on little hinges of its own,
gave means of passage to household servants and, when pressed for time,
to such of their superiors as would condescend to step high and stoop
low.

To the right and left of the main entrance were store-rooms, servants'
rooms, and carriage-room, and opposite the latter, towards the rear, the
broad stairway that, turning upon itself, led to the living-rooms on the
upper floor--the broad salon at the head of the stairs being utilized as
a dining-room on state occasions, and its northward end as the parlor.
Opening from the sides of the salon, front and rear, were four large,
roomy, high-ceilinged chambers.

Overlooking and partially overhanging the street and extending the
length of the house was a wide enclosed veranda, well supplied with
tables, lounging-chairs, and couches of bamboo and wicker, its floor
covered here and there with