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The battens, which for years had secured the windows of the rooms on the ground-floor, had been unnailed on one side, and hung down beside the open persiennes.

A timepiece ticked on the mantel-shelf under a neat mirror, a secretaire stood between it and the window, which was furnished with persiennes, adding to the general appearance of rusticity.

"So I perceived," answered Lady Mar�chale, frigidly; by which I suppose she had not been above the weakness of looking through her persiennes.

I looked through the half-open persiennes with a semi-presentiment that it was my sweet foreigner who was leaving ere I could presume on my clematis or improve our acquaintance.

It was terribly cold, our windows under the persiennes were white with frost.