portiere

“So sad I got fat and had to resort to Scarlett curtains and portieres, disguised as caftans and djellabas!” he said.

A 20-foot-long hallway was cut down to size with curtains to create portieres that signal the entrance to the master bedroom suite.

He thought he saw Cathy’s door close very silently, but perhaps the leaping candlelight had fooled his eyes, for a portiere seemed to move too.

At that moment Virginia pushed aside the portiere and silently stepped into the room.

He had a horrid vision of driving up to the door, having the portiere ask him his errand, perhaps of having Miss Allen look out of the window and see the scene.