The basement of the Library, which may be reached through the doors
under the staircases in the Main Entrance Hall, is arranged in the
same way as the first and second stories, except that the whole floor
is connected by a series of corridors which extend entirely round the
building.
The walls of the West Pavilion are sheathed in a dado of white
Italian marble about ten feet high, above which is a vaulted ceiling
ornamented with a bright, open arabesque in green, blue, and yellow
on a cream-colored ground. The corridors have dados of American
marbles, usually dark in color, as Lake Champlain or Tennessee. For
the walls and vaults, plain colors harmonizing with the marble and
set off with simple arabesques and borders, have been used. The
effect is well worth the attention of the visitor--the rich tones of
the marble and the brighter coloring of the walls and vaults framing
a long vista seen through a succession of low, narrow arches.
[Illustration: (decorative archway)]