Thebedchamber，Nodoubt，wasachamberofverygreatandvariedexperience，asasceneofhumanlife:thejoyofbridalnightshadthrobbeditselfawayhere；newimmortalshadfirstdrawnearthlybreathhere；andhereoldpeoplehaddied。But——whetheritwerethewhiteroses，orwhateverthesubtileinfluencemightbe——apersonofdelicateinstinctwouldhaveknownatoncethatitwasnowamaiden’sbedchamber，andhadbeenpurifiedofallformerevilandsorrowbyhersweetbreathandhappythoughts。
Herdreamsofthepastnight，beingsuchcheerfulones，hadexorcisedthegloom，andnowhauntedthechamberinitsstead。
Afterarrangingmatterstohersatisfaction，Phoebeemergedfromherchamber，withapurposetodescendagainintothegarden。
Besidestherosebush，shehadobservedseveralotherspeciesofflowersgrowingthereinawildernessofneglect，andobstructingoneanother’sdevelopmentasisoftentheparallelcaseinhumansocietybytheiruneducatedentanglementandconfusion。Attheheadofthestairs，however，shemetHepzibah，who，itbeingstillearly，invitedherintoaroomwhichshewouldprobablyhavecalledherboudoir，hadhereducationembracedanysuchFrenchphrase。
Itwasstrewnaboutwithafewoldbooks，andawork-basket，andadustywriting-desk；andhad，ononeside，alargeblackarticleoffurniture，ofverystrangeappearance，whichtheoldgentlewomantoldPhoebewasaharpsichord。Itlookedmorelikeacoffinthananythingelse；and，indeed，——nothavingbeenplayedupon，oropened，foryears，——theremusthavebeenavastdealofdeadmusicinit，stifledforwantofair。HumanfingerwashardlyknowntohavetoucheditschordssincethedaysofAlicePyncheon，whohadlearnedthesweetaccomplishmentofmelodyinEurope。