The drawing-room contains a splendid set of Louis Quatorze furniture, of gilt wood, upholstered in fine tapestry, in an extraordinary state of preservation.  Three crystal lustres, hanging at intervals along the room, sparkle like diamonds.  The hangings, of woven silk and gold, are those which were sent as a present by Louis Quatorze to Monsieur de Pimentel, the Spanish Ambassador, to reward him for the part he had taken in the conclusion of the Treaty of the Pyrenees.  These hangings are unique, and were brought back from Spain in 1814, in the baggage-train of Soult’s army, and sold to an inhabitant of Toulouse for ten thousand francs.  It was there that Madame Desvarennes discovered them in a garret in 1864, neglected by the grandchildren of the buyer, who were ignorant of the immense value of such unrivalled work.  Cleverly mended, they are to-day the pride of the great trader’s drawing-room.  On the mantelpiece there is a large clock in Chinese lacquer, ornamented with gilt bronze, made on a model sent out from Paris in the reign of Louis Quatorze, and representing the Flight of the Hours pursued by Time.

Adjoining the great drawing-room is a boudoir upholstered in light gray silk damask, with bouquets of flowers.  This is Madame Desvarennes’s favorite room.  A splendid Erard piano occupies one side of the apartment.  Facing it is a sideboard in sculptured ebony, enriched with bronze, by Gouthieres.  There are only two pictures on the walls:  “The Departure of the Newly Married Couple,” exquisitely painted by Lancret; and “The Prediction,” an adorable work by Watteau, bought at an incredible price at the Pourtales sale.  Over the chimney-piece is a miniature by Pommayrac, representing Micheline as a little child—­a treasure which Madame Desvarennes cannot behold without tears coming to her eyes.  A door, hidden by curtains, opens on to a staircase leading directly to the courtyard.

The dining-room is in the purest Renaissance style austere woodwork; immense chests of caned pearwood, on which stand precious ewers in Urbino ware, and dishes by Bernard Palissy.  The high stone fireplace is surmounted by a portrait of Diana of Poitiers, with a crescent on her brow, and is furnished with firedogs of elaborately worked iron.  The centre panel bears the arms of Admiral Bonnivet.  Stained-glass windows admit a softly-tinted light.  From the magnificently painted ceiling, a chandelier of brass repousse work hangs from the claws of a hovering eagle.

The billiard-room is in the Indian style.  Magnificent panoplies unite Rajpoot shields, Mahratta scimitars, helmets with curtains of steel, rings belonging to Afghan chiefs, and long lances ornamented with white mares’ tails, wielded by the horsemen of Cabul.  The walls are painted from designs brought from Lahore.  The panels of the doors were decorated by Gerome.  The great artist has painted Nautch girls twisting their floating scarves, and jugglers throwing poignards into the air.  Around the room are low divans, covered with soft and brilliant Oriental cloth.  The chandelier is quite original in form, being the exact representation of the god Vishnu.  From the centre of the body hangs a lotus leaf of emeralds, and from each of the four arms is suspended a lamp shaped like a Hindu pagoda, which throws out a mellow light.