Титаник
Chapter 2
Oursolitarytraveller,goingdownthewindingstaircase,doesnotpauseonthefirstfloor,forthatleadsforwardtoprivateapartments,andafttoawriting-roomandlibrary;noronthesecondorthird,fortheentrance-hallsthereleadtostate-rooms;butonthefourthfloordownhestepsoutintoareceptionroomextendingtothefullwidthoftheshipandofalmostasgreatalength.Nothingofthesea’srestrictionsordiscomfortshere!BeforehimisanAubussontapestry,copiedfromoneofthe“ChâssesdeGuise”seriesoftheNationalGarde-Meuble;andinthiswideapartmentthereisasense,notofthecrampingnecessitiesofthesea,butofalltheleisuredandspaciouslifeoftheland.Throughthisluxuriousemptinesstheimposingdignitiesofthedining-saloonarereached;andhereindeedalltheinsolentsplendouroftheshipiscentred.Itwasbyfarthelargestroomthathadeverfloatedupontheseas,andbyfarthelargestroomthathadevermovedfromoneplacetoanother.Theseventeenth-centurystyleofHatfieldandHaddonHallhadbeentranslatedfromthesombrenessofoaktothelightnessofenamelledwhite.Artist-plasterershadmouldedthelovelyJacobeanceiling,artist-stainershaddesignedandmadethegreatpaintedwindowsthroughwhichthebrightsea-sunlightwasfiltered;andwhenthewholecompanyofthreehundredwasseatedatthetablesitseemednotmuchmorethanhalffull,sincemorethanhalfasmanyagaincouldfindplacestherewithouttheleastcrowding.
