AT A ROSE-SHOW. 2/3 



and they go off together to the darkest corner of the most 

 dismal room of their inn, to enjoy their woes, and to defy 

 their fellow- creatures, over a succession of "two brandies 

 and cold." 



I know only of one other species of exhibitor discredit- 

 able to the genus, The Covetous Exhibitor, whose avarice 

 has slain his honour. His motto is Money, 



"Si possis recte, si non quocunque modo Money." 



He cares nothing for the Rose itself, sees no beauty, and 

 smells no perfume, only for the prizes it may win. Ti'iiie 

 aime plus bran que Rose, and will go through any amount of 

 dirtiness to get his nose to the swill. On the eve of a show 

 he will beg or will buy the Roses of his neighbours. He will 

 show several flowers of the same Rose, attaching the differ- 

 ent names of those varieties which have some resemblance 

 to each other. He knows how to conceal an eye, and to fix 

 a petal in its place by gum. He will add foliage, wherever 

 he dare. He, too, likes a few words with the judges before 

 they make their awards. He never saw them in such won- 

 derful health ; in fact, their youthful appearance is almost 

 comic. They will find the Roses rough and coarse (which 

 means that his own are too small) ; or there is a sad want 



