’To this the Baron replied, “I am the only member of the family living here, and I and the palace are entirely at your disposal.”  From first to last we found this gentleman perfectly straightforward, and most amiably willing to assist us.

’With the one exception of her ladyship’s room, we went over the whole of the palace the same day.  It is an immense place only partially furnished.  The first floor and part of the second floor were the portions of it that had been inhabited by Lord Montbarry and the members of the household.  We saw the bedchamber, at one extremity of the palace, in which his lordship died, and the small room communicating with it, which he used as a study.  Next to this was a large apartment or hall, the doors of which he habitually kept locked, his object being (as we were informed) to pursue his studies uninterruptedly in perfect solitude.  On the other side of the large hall were the bedchamber occupied by her ladyship, and the dressing-room in which the maid slept previous to her departure for England.  Beyond these were the dining and reception rooms, opening into an antechamber, which gave access to the grand staircase of the palace.

’The only inhabited rooms on the second floor were the sitting-room and bedroom occupied by Baron Rivar, and another room at some distance from it, which had been the bedroom of the courier Ferrari.

’The rooms on the third floor and on the basement were completely unfurnished, and in a condition of great neglect.  We inquired if there was anything to be seen below the basement—­ and we were at once informed that there were vaults beneath, which we were at perfect liberty to visit.

’We went down, so as to leave no part of the palace unexplored.  The vaults were, it was believed, used as dungeons in the old times—­ say, some centuries since.  Air and light were only partially admitted to these dismal places by two long shafts of winding construction, which communicated with the back yard of the palace, and the openings of which, high above the ground, were protected by iron gratings.  The stone stairs leading down into the vaults could be closed at will by a heavy trap-door in the back hall, which we found open.  The Baron himself led the way down the stairs.  We remarked that it might be awkward if that trap-door fell down and closed the opening behind us.  The Baron smiled at the idea.  “Don’t be alarmed, gentlemen,” he said; “the door is safe.  I had an interest in seeing to it myself, when we first inhabited the palace.  My favourite study is the study of experimental chemistry—­and my workshop, since we have been in Venice, is down here.”