the brickwork heavy and immovable , the columns herculean , the carpeting soft and comfortable , the tapestry of the great war and the heroes who finished it , the shelves full of mottled books jealously guarding innumerable secrets , the glass-fronted cabinets sparkling as they reflected the bright afternoon sunshine which streamed through the tall , sash-framed windows ; all of these drade saw , and the bar , discretely tucked away in a corner being worked quietly by harry the barman ; the newspaper rack , the occasional tables and the airs themselves .