He was somewhat taken aback by the spectacle that met his eyes.

The furniture was scant, and all in the style of the last century.

The dust lay half an inch thick on the old gilded ornaments and chandeliers.

A great pier-glass was cracked from corner to corner, and the metallic backing seemed to be scaling off behind.

There were two or three open valises on the marble floor, which latter, however, seemed to have been lately swept.