This is the billiard-room," he continued
as they advanced into the adjoining room. "You see I have a few recent
pictures of merit upon the walls. Here is a Corot, two Meissoniers, a
Bouguereau, a Millais, an Orchardson, and two Alma-Tademas. It seems to
me to be a pity to hang pictures over these walls of carved oak.
Look at those birds hopping and singing in the branches. They really
seem to move and twitter, don't they?"
"They are perfect. I never saw such exquisite work. But why do you
call it a billiard-room, Mr. Haw? I do not see any board."
"Oh, a board is such a clumsy uncompromising piece of furniture. It is
always in the way unless you actually need to use it. In this case the
board is covered by that square of polished maple which you see let into
the floor. Now I put my foot upon this motor. You see!" As he spoke,
the central portion of the flooring flew up, and a most beautiful
tortoise-shell-plated billiard-table rose up to its proper position.
He pressed a second spring, and a bagatelle-table appeared in the same
fashion. "You may have card-tables or what you will by setting the
levers in motion," he remarked. "But all this is very trifling.
Perhaps we may find something in the museum which may be of more
interest to you.
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