façades of yellow-grey sandstone which still possessed some of its granulated sparkle. Where the big plate-glass windows stood open the outer pair of cream-coloured net curtains waved gently, and in the sombreness of the room the prism of a chandelier sparkled or the edge of a golden frame shone with a subdued light.
In a loggia formed of Doric columns with Pompeian painted walls and Caset ceiling some people were drinking coffee. Down a double zigzag staircase, which was surrounded by flowering plants, a slim lady with the tail of her riding habit over her arm was being escorted by a cavalier in bronze-coloured velvet. In a covered drive, which on the side of the villa formed a beautiful portico copied from the Villa d'Este, a landau was waiting, and a pair of chestnut horses were prancing impatiently and pawing the red gravel.
This kind of covered drive especially delighted us, and under no circumstances were we going to content ourselves with one made of iron and glass. It was settled beyond doubt that we were to have a carriage at the time when these luxurious plans were fulfilled. The aforesaid pair of chestnuts pleased us very much; at the same time we also had a strong liking for a black pair. Much consideration was naturally given to the style of the villa, and our tastes coincided, as we both preferred a not too rich renaissance. An ideal one of this kind we found at a corner near the park. It was a massive building of considerable size, stamped by a real aristocratic simplicity without the slightest sign of parvenu pretentiousness, but with imposing, grand, and noble proportions; it seemed to have been built by Semper himself, or by one of his best pupils.
"That is the one, that is our villa!" Minna exclaimed
