It has no carpet, but it is white as well-scrubbed wood could well be.

There is no stain, no dust, no foot-mark on it; no heavy shoe that has been tramping about in the mud has been up there.

But it is necessary to go on or go back, and of the two the first is the lesser evil.
The staircase is guarded by carved banisters, and after going up two flights you enter a large and vacant apartment prepared for the meeting of the farmers' club.

At the farther end is a small mahogany table, with an armchair for the president, paper, pens, ink, blotting-paper, and a wax candle and matches, in case he should want a light.

Two less dignified chairs are for the secretary (whose box, containing the club records, books of reference, &c., is on the table), and for the secretary's clerk.
Rows of plain chairs stretch across the room, rank after rank; these are for the audience.