THE SIX OF SPADES. 129 



complete approbation the suit of the viscount, -who 

 was heir to an ancient and wealthy earldom ; but the 

 daughter preferred the Guardsman. 



That there was some special attraction at the castle 

 for these young gentlemen was evident from the fact 

 that they both revisited it a few months after their de- 

 parture, together with a great number of other guests, 

 who were invited to celebrate the coming of age of our 

 marquis. And now comes a chief event in my story. A 

 grand ball was to end the festivities, and all the re- 

 sources of our immense establishment were to be taxed 

 to the utmost, as they say at the circus, to make the 

 entertainment a success. We gardeners were busily 

 engaged, I can assure you, in collecting and preparing 

 all our eligible plants from the houses, carrying them 

 to the castle, and arranging them in the halls, ball- 

 room, &c. The demand for cut flowers, upon the day 

 of the ball, was (so my father, then the head-gardener, 

 pronounced it) murderous ; flowers for the reception- 

 rooms, flowers for the supper-table, flowers for the 

 hair, flowers for the hand, and flowers for the gentle- 

 men's coats. 



As I was at that time head foreman in the plant 

 department, the care of the great conservatory was 

 entrusted to me during the night of the ball. I was 

 to replace any of the low flowering plants, which 

 formed an edging to the circular beds, and which 

 might be disarranged by the trailing garments of the 

 ladies ; to supervise the fountains, which were at 

 times eccentric in their behaviour ; to keep an eye 

 upon the coloured lamps, &c. When the guests came 

 into the conservatory, I was to retire behind a stage 

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