Page:The Count of Monte-Cristo (1887 Volume 3).djvu/35

Rh soft and yielding cushions, that needed only to be arranged at the pleasure or convenience of such as sought repose.

Haydée's establishment consisted of three French attendants, and a fourth, who was a Greek. The three first remained constantly in a small waiting-room, ready to obey the first sound of a small golden bell, or to receive the orders of the Romaic slave, who knew just sufficient French to be enabled to transmit her mistress's orders to the three other waiting-women, who had received instructions from Monte-Cristo to treat Hay dee with all deference they would observe to a queen.

The fair Greek herself was in the apartment forming the extremity of the suite of rooms. It was a species of boudoir, circular, and lighted only from the top, which consisted of pale pink glass. Haydée was reclining upon cushions, covered with blue satin spotted with silver; her head, supported by one of her exquisitely molded arms, rested on the divan, while the other was employed in adjusting to her lips the coral tube of a rich narguileh, whose flexible pipe permitted not the vapor to ascend until fully impregnated with the rich perfumed water. Her attitude, though perfectly natural for an Eastern female, would have been deemed too coquettish in a European.

Her dress, which was that of the women of Epirus, consisted of a pair of white satin trousers, embroidered with pink roses, displaying feet like an infant's, that might well have been taken for Parian marble, had not the eye been undeceived by their shifting in and out of the slippers beautifully ornamented with gold and pearls, and turned up at the point; a blue and white-striped vest, with long open sleeves, trimmed with silver loops and buttons of pearls. She also wore a species of bodice, which exhibited the whole of the throat and upper part of the bosom; three magnificent diamond clasps fastened it where requisite. The junction of the bodice and drawers was entirely concealed by one of those many-colored scarfs whose brilliant hues and rich silken fringe have rendered them so precious in the eyes of Parisian belles.

A small cap of gold, embroidered with pearls, was placed on one side of the head; while, on the other, a natural rose, of purple, shone out amid hair so black as to seem almost blue.

The extreme beauty of the countenance was purely Grecian; there were the large, dark, melting eyes, the finely formed nose, the coral lips, and pearly teeth, that belonged to her race and country.

And to complete the whole, Haydée was in the very springtide and fuUness of youthful charms—she had not yet numbered more than nineteen or twenty summers.

Monte-Cristo summoned her Greek attendant, and bade her inquire whether it would be agreeable to her mistress to receive his visit.