A GARDEN OF DELIGHT 175 



months later, in full Summer-tide, the beds 

 on the great flat space of close-cut lawn before 

 the southern face of the house, were radiant 

 with tall Fuchsias, and Geraniums of many 

 sorts as tall, purple standard Heliotrope, pink 

 Verbena, with Cannas and madder -brown 

 Ricinus, strange sub-tropical plants and Be- 

 gonias of gorgeous hues. No formal ribbon 

 borders are here ; but exquisite combinations 

 of all sorts and kinds of flowers, common as 

 well as rare. And looking beyond this last 

 word of gardening art across the deep dip of 

 the lawns, rose the most subtle touch of all, 

 a knoll, a quarter of a mile away, of native 

 Heather in full bloom, crowned with the blue- 

 black of our wild Scotch-firs, and backed by 

 the noble view over the vale of the Black- 

 water to Hartford-bridge Flats, and the far- 

 off Beacon Hill and Caesar's Camp frowning 

 down on the modern Aldershot. 



But flower beds, and even such a view, are 

 not our goal in this dear Garden of Delight. 

 And all steps turn sooner or later to the long 

 steep slopes of the lawn a veritable hillside 



