156 A GARDEN OF PLEASURE 



The cold half-withdrawn look of common 

 day has vanished from each lovely face, and 

 as you pass by, voiceless, they tell you 

 sweet nothings without words. 



It is more strange than perhaps at first 

 sight appears, the illumination of flowers 

 and bright coloured objects after sundown, 

 while the green of surrounding grass and 

 foliage is lit only with a sombre radiance. 

 I may be pardoned for giving a suggested 

 theory in explanation, thus : The colour 

 of all objects depends upon the kind of 

 illumination they receive. A completely 

 yellow light thrown upon a nosegay will 

 kill all colour excepting in the yellow 

 flowers. Newton discovered that sunshine 

 and all white lights have the power of 

 pouring every conceivable shade of colour 

 upon all objects, and these again have 

 the power of extinguishing all shades 

 except the few which suit their own sub- 

 stances and textures. ( A blue salvia 

 extinguishes all the red, yellow, green, 

 and possibly the violet rays, while a red 

 poppy absorbs all the violet, blue, green, 

 and possibly yellow. We therefore see 



