10 A BOOK ABOUT THE GARDEN. 



yeux, were filled with the "sacra auri fames," and 

 yearned to hit the gold. The billiard-player, a little 

 over-perfumed by stale tobacco and gas, but with a 

 marvellous eyesight and power of cue, screwed in 

 from spot, and played from a half-a-dozen cushions, or 

 with " no end of side," his clever cannon-game. The 

 skater glided on the frozen lake, at ease and happy 

 on a single leg, as the still heron on its distant shore. 

 Bowls slowly travelled towards the "jack " along tbe 

 level sward, while solemn faces, smoking long pipes 

 of clay, watched the insipid, though once royal game. 

 Croquet-players, with smiles too thin to veil the scowls 

 beneath, and with tones which said, " I assure you, 

 darling," but which meant, "Oh, you horrid cheat ! " 

 placed lovely boots upon the boxwood ball, and routed 

 the flying foe. Skittles fell with a dull, rumbling 

 sound; quoits rang upon the iron "hob;" single- 

 sticks resounded like the brattling horns of deer ; and 

 every sport, amusement, recreation, game, went on in 

 full force before me. 



Not one of them fulfilled my heart's desire ; and 

 yet I was interested in them all (barring the bowls), 

 experienced in most, and expert in some. Horses 

 have I loved fondly ever since a subtle groom slipped 

 noiselessly from his seat behind me : and, fear giving 

 away to pride, I cantered in alone to my applauding 

 friends, as Gladiateur won the Derby. Guns I have 

 held since, a mere child, I stole away to neighbouring 

 corn-fields, making friends with a youthful " bird- 

 tenter," who loaded a long single barrel with the 

 bowl of a broken pipe, and who taught me, after 

 many twitchings and bliukings, to bring down the 



