A DAY IN THE ELYSIAN FIELDS. 97 



that she was the biggest beauty in the universe. (Laughter, 

 and signs of impatience.) 



The Hybrid Perpetual would simply relate his own 

 experience. In the month of January he was grafted 

 with two eyes on the Manetti, according to the most 

 improved method of the King of Roses. (Flora : " Who 

 was he ?") Although apparently not acknowledged by the 

 gods, he was a person of considerable importance in 

 England. He was known also under the name of Saudeur 



o 



Panache.* (A voice, " None of your ' sawder ' here," and 

 laughter.) To continue he was kept in heat for a consider- 

 able time, and afterwards coaxed and petted till he made a 

 " decent " and comely plant. He did very well that year 

 while in a pot. The next spring he was sent to live in a 

 bleak row, and while those of his confreres who were on 

 their own stumps or budded on the Dog-Rose had their 

 roots placed near the surface, that they might be fed by 

 the air and warmed by the sun, he was " buried deep," so 

 that he suffered considerably from cold and hunger, conse- 

 quently he did not thrive. His master was at first angry 

 with him, tried a variety of dodges to induce him to form 

 roots on his own account, but this he could not do, and 

 was thenceforth utterly neglected till relieved by death. 

 Next to him on one side in the same row was one Manetti 

 with his roots close to the surface, and he grew and 

 flourished surprisingly. On him was budded a choice kind 

 which grew prodigiously, and to him was every friend of 

 his master's referred as a proof of the value of Manetti. 

 But it was only fair to say that he had been placed there as 

 a cutting, and never removed. Loud were the praises 

 constantly lavished on this prodigy. His neighbour on 

 the other side was Rosa Spinosa, always a little cynical 

 and jealous of receiving no notice ; he compared their 

 friend on the Manetti to an alderman glutted with turtle 



* There was a Rose in my master's garden some years ago, known as 

 Saudeur Panache, or King of Roses Rose du Roi. 

 G 



