Description

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Within that privileged section of the Ladies' Gallery to which only the Speaker's orderadmits, there was no less agitation than on the floor below, though the signs of it were lessevident. Some half a dozen chairs placed close against the grille were filled by dusky formsinvisible, save as a dim patchwork, to the House beneath them-women with their facespressed against the lattice-work which divided them from the Chamber, endeavoring tohear and see, in spite of all the difficulties placed in their way by a graceless Commons.Behind them stood other women, bending forward sometimes over the heads of those infront, in the feverish effort to catch the words of the speech. It was so dark in the little roomthat no inmate of it could be sure of the identity of any other unless she was close besideher; and it was pervaded by a constant soft frou-frou of silk and satin, as persons from aninner room moved in and out, or some lady silently gave up her seat to a new-comer, or oneof those in front bent over to whisper to a friend behind. The background of all seemedfilled with a shadowy medley of plumed hats, from which sometimes a face emerged as ashaft of faint light from the illumined ceiling of the House struck upon it.