GARDEN HOUSES 173 



decorations betray that it was meant more for dances and 

 festivities at the end of the day, when innumerable wax 

 candles lit up the soft-coloured walls. 



It is a satisfaction to think that plans and rough notes 

 made many years ago by the author have been preserved 

 and are now useful in calling it to mind. It may be 

 sacrilege to mention so unsightly an object as a motor, 

 when speaking of an approach that was originally thought 

 of only in connection with picturesque coaches and four, 

 huntsmen and their hounds, and perhaps the sedan-chairs 

 of fair ladies. The building is shaped both at the back 

 and in front in half-circles, and consequently the roadway 

 also follows these lines and makes access to the Palace 

 easy. The entrances and exits are admirably planned, 

 and so, too, is the little model kitchen which is the ideal 

 of what such a working one should be. It is cool, light 

 and clean, for the floor, walls, and ceiling are laid through- 

 out with spotless shining white tiles. A passage from it, 

 with very spacious cupboard accommodation for glass, 

 cutlery, and dishes, leads to the first of the ornamental 

 rooms. It is perfectly proportioned, and the quiet grey- 

 coloured panelled walls, slightly decorated with silver 

 mouldings, lead up slowly to the gay colour of the drawing- 

 room, which we pass on to next. 



Here the walls are painted a bright yellow, just the 

 tint which lights up best ; and we can picture how well, 

 too, the silver mouldings and decorations would look 

 at night with that colour. The feature of the whole, 

 however, is the beautifully proportioned circular ball- 

 room with its musicians' gallery. The soft grey colour 

 of the walls and the silver mouldings throughout the 

 rooms were chosen wisely, so as to show off well bright- 

 coloured silks and satins of the ladies' hoop-petticoats. 

 White or pale colours are much more becoming as a 

 background to uniforms and bright clothes, and in the 



