Some of the floors were entirely bare, others were covered partly by Eastern rugs.

Carved and curved weapons of many lands adorned the walls, and in one room were a mandolin and guitar.
Alvarez led the way to an inner court or patio, waving back all except Braxton Wyatt.

The patio was large, with little beds of flowers in the corners, and a pool of pure, fresh water in the center.

The pool was fed by a little stream that ran from a brook near the chateau, and it was drained by a similar stream.
The patio was enclosed by a narrow, interior veranda, and the veranda held deep cane chairs, one of which Alvarez took, waving Braxton Wyatt to another.
The Spanish commander with a great air of relief and luxury leaned back in his cane chair.

He loved the south and the sunshine to which he was born, and, although bold and hardy, he had little liking for the great, cold forests of the North.