Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-12

others entirely covered with historic tapes
tries. There we're statues, paintings and
banks OF orchids, lilies and violets. There
are only eighteen hothouses at Blenheim and
only $4,000 orchid plants!
| THE dining room was a dream of splendor
The duke and duchess sat opposite each
other at the sides OF the table. the guests
| OF the lowest rank taking the ends. Behind
| every chair was n footman In red livery and
experimenting the whole was the butler, a
much more imposing parsonage than any
| guest OF high degree. The table service that
night was all Of silver, decorated with the
Marlborough arms, and the table wes mass
Of orchids. To say that the dinner was slow
is to tell the strict truth. There was not
one little gurgle OF laughter during the two
solemn hours, and little conversation, no
small talk, no badlnage, no jestlng, no re-
partee! My partner was a great broad
shoudered, well-bred red checked chappie,
but he couldn't talk and my neighbor on
the other side was not only wrapped up in
his menu, but deaf into the bargain! So
gave UP trying to have good time as knew
| how.
And really jollty would have seemed as
much out of place at dinner in that dining
room as at the funeral of ones own grand
mother. Everywhere you look around that
oak room, celebrated for its antique carv-
ings you meet a pair OF wonderful eyes fixed
upon you--apparently in reproach. The
walls are simply covered with portraits OF
dead and gone Marlboroughs, and they are
solemn looking lot
when the duchess gave the signal to the
women and we were leaving the room all
! the lights were extinguished and n row OF
| electric burners in pink globes hanging low
| over the tables were lighted. BY this rosy
light the men we're to smoke and drink their
| wine.
"As we left the dining room the duchess
| took me by the arm and gave 1t several little
| pinches and squeezes as we strolled back
| through the state suite, stopping now and
| then to admire chef d'oeuvre or grand et-
feet Several times she told me of his
torcal event connected with some article OF
| virtu.. Finally we reached the library, a
cosy CD apartment only 1S4 feet long! ani
here we were expected to be seated while
waiting for the men. / still clung to the
duchess for felt lonely. l hadn't met one
of the other women yet. Presently the
organ was struck UP again, and discovered
it was at the other end of this great room,
and we were Obliged to sit there and listen
to several numbers of the solemnest music
you ever heard outside OF church on COM
|
munion Sunday.
During the first number l saw the
duchess pull some knitting out OF a satin
bag. 1t was white wool, with two long bone
needles Then she began, with much appar-
ent effort and pursuing of her lips, to work
these implements. l tried to get her eye,
but couldn't, and well enough, for l surely
would have disgraced both her and myself
by laughing aloud. / looked around and
found maids scurrying in every direction,
delivering bags Of needlework or knitting to
their mistresses. / was the only person,
young or old, without some such occupa
ton. 1t was the only humorous thing had
seen, and felt the solemn tension within
me giving way and l grew hysterical.
wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
I was wretched. There was no conversa-
ton. Only the solemn music and the knit
ting. | longed for return of the men, hop
ing the wine would have loosened their
tongues, and there would be few bright
sayings and some laughter that could tell
you about.
The Formal Goodnight.
But the men came late, and soon there
after the organist played God Save the
Queen, and everybody rose and Joined in
singing two stanzas. Then our royal host
and hostess went to the doorway and wished
everybody formal goodnight. / escaped to
my room, and while wondering however
was to endure two weeks OF such formal
visiting there was a tap at the door and
Consuelo came in. She told me about the
other people in the house, who they were and
what, and that things would liven up bit
as soon as the dukes sisters, Ladies' Lillian
and Norah Spencer Churchill, got there as
they were awfully jolly girls. | had had
my faith so shaken in jolly English people
at the first dinner that | was skeptica in
regard to the dukes sisters, but built upon
some mutual American friends she was ex-
pecting. BY the time she left me was feel
ing much more cheerful and at home.
THE breakfast next morning was almost
gruesome! went down a trifie late and not
seeing any enc around. made my way to the
dining room. The table was not laid nor a
soul in sight. / wandered into the hall and.
seeing footman, asked where the family
was breakfastng. He showed me to a room
near the dining room and there about half
the company and the duke and duchess were
breakfasting in the most absolute silence.
said Coed morning to the duchess and she
replied, but the duke was deep in his morn
ing's mail and no one else thought worth
while to speak.
Presently the duchess asked me how
nad siept. AFTER tnlS more silence, ana no
one asked me whether I would eat or enjoy
myself Just ae well watching them. There
were no yictuals on the table except upon
the plates from which they were eating. The
duchess looked up from long letter from
America, which she had read entirely while
! waited, and said: You must say what you
will eat
But to whom was to say it? Was to
yell 1t to one of the liveried individuals over
by the sideboard? Net for title would
have broken that gloomy, glacial silence.
I'd starve first! But juet then my silent
partner OF the night before strode into the
room, and, without noticing any one, made
straight line for the sidebcard, where he
seized a plate, and, pointing to a covered
chating DISH had the man serve him.
This gave me an idea so / sped across
the room and likewise seizing plate pointed
to the chatting dish and was helped to some
kind cf n Geviled ieh, some boiled eggs, and,
telling the man to bring me some tea and
toast, / resumed my seat Tho sdeb1ard
was loaded with all kinds OF cold victuals,
but very little warm. There was game pie,
cold; roast beef and roast chicken, both
cold and some queer looking dishes un-