296 THE GARDEN, YOU, AND I 



strange psychological romance, nor was I disap- 

 pointed. 



The first thing that I saw when we entered, was a 

 great strip of heliotrope that rivalled my own, and 

 opposite it an equal mass of silvery lavender crowned 

 by its own flowers, of the colour that we so fre- 

 quently use as a term, but seldom correctly. There 

 were no flagged or gravel walks, but closely shorn 

 grass paths, the width of a lawn-mower, that followed 

 the outline of the borders and made grateful footing. 



Bounding the heliotrope and lavender on one side 

 was a large bed of what I at first thought were Mar- 

 garet carnations, of every colour combination known 

 to the flower, but a closer view showed that while those 

 in the centre were Margarets, those of the wide border 

 were of a heavier quality both in build of plant, texture 

 of leaf, and flower, which was like a compact green- 

 house carnation, the edges of the petals being very 

 smooth and round, while in addition to many rich, 

 solid colours there were flowers of white-and-yellow 

 ground, edged and striped and flaked with colour, 

 and the fragrance delicious and reminiscent of the 

 clove pinks of May. 



Mrs. Puffin, the companion, could tell us little about 

 them except that the seed from which they were 



