{"product_id":"2940148628842","title":"THE HARLEQUIN OPAL COMPLETE 3 VOLUMES","description":"THE  HARLEQUIN OPAL\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA ROMANCE BY FERGUS HUME \u003cbr\u003e1893\u003cbr\u003eExcerpt:\u003cbr\u003eIt was a charming spot, cool, bright and airy, with plenty of brilliant-blossomed flowers standing round the sides in red, porous jars, and vividly green creepers which twisted round the squat pillars and clambered to the sunlight by the ladder of the balconies. An old Aztec sacrificial stone carved with ugly gods occupied the centre of the court, and here and there appeared misshapen statues of the same grotesque deities. A light awning, gaily striped with red and white, made the patio shady, and beneath this were cane chairs for the accommodation of the lazy, and small tables on which to place refreshments. It was a veritable castle of indolence, grateful to day-dreamers, and, as such, peculiarly acceptable to the Cholacacans, who are the least industrious people on this planet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOutside, the mansion, with its massive doors and iron rejas, presented a gloomy and forbidding appearance, more like a prison than a dwelling house. On entering the door, however, and passing through the dim zaguan, the internal cheerfulness of the patio was accentuated by the dullness without. Indeed, the sudden emergence into the light was somewhat bewildering, as with blue sky above and flower-decorated patio below, it was some time before the eye became accustomed to the blinding brilliance of the whole. Graceful architecture, hideous idols, the splendour of floral treasures, and silver glitter of the walls, the patio was a most charming spot, and eminently calculated to make life in this tropical zone remarkably pleasant.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInto this city paradise, created by the hand of man, Jack introduced his friends, and formally presented them to Don Miguel, Jefe Politico of Tlatonac, who, having been informed of their arrival, awaited them in his patio according to the etiquette of the country. He was tall and lean and dry, with a most astonishing resemblance to Don Quixote as delineated by the pencil of Doré. For coolness, he wore a white linen suit, and shaded his austere face with a broad-brimed sombrero, which latter he removed with infinite grace on the appearance of the Englishman.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Welcome, gentlemen, to Tlatonac,\" he said majestically, in Spanish; \"my house and all therein is at your disposal.\"","brand":"Unforgotten Classics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47148950946032,"sku":"2940148628842","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940148628842_p0.jpg?v=1763705739","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940148628842","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}