A DAY IN THE ELYSIAN FIELDS. 99 



in the air, were their spirits, which could under certain cir- 

 cumstances flit at will through the air from their earthly 

 homes. 



The Goddess of Flowers was observed to frown at times 

 during the discussion, and at length she remarked, more 

 in sorrow than in anger, that she had listened to the state- 

 ments of the deputation with equal pain and attention. 

 She was grieved to find her Rose children squabbling. 

 There had been mischief-making somewhere. She knew 

 Rosa Spinosa had been a wild lad in his youth, and she 

 feared he was a bad boy still. Spines, she said, were given 

 to Roses not for offence, but for defence. She thought 

 that he had been silly enough to lend his name and 

 tongue to some ill-conditioned mortal who had some 

 selfish, if not malignant, purpose to serve. The race of 

 men, or at least some of them, were rather worshippers of 

 pounds, shillings, and pence than loyal subjects of the 

 Queen of Flowers. She reprobated such conduct, and 

 hated those guilty of it more than couch grass or the 

 worst weed that grows. As presently advised she was 

 strongly in favour of her tried and faithful servant the 

 Dog-Rose ; she did not think she would change her 

 opinion. But as she did not wish her fair fame to be 

 sullied by the slightest imputation of partiality, she would 

 take the whole case into consideration, would try experi- 

 ments and hear further argument if necessary, and 

 pronounce judgment on a future day. 



The deputation now prepared to depart, " La Reine " 

 remarking that as neither the originator or advocate of the 

 cause of their misfortunes was "owned of the gods" they 

 might solace themselves with the hope of a speedy justice. 

 Pan once more awoke his rural pipe, and the deputation 

 followed him to the banks of the Styx, where Charon was 

 in waiting to receive them. When half-way over it was 

 discovered that Rosa Spinosa had been left behind. 

 Smarting under the lash of the Damask Rose he had 

 stolen off for a carouse with Bacchus, and when last seen 



