CHAPTER XIV 



A GARDEN-PARTY AT THE RESIDENCY, SRINAGAR 



TO-DAY is Srinagar's big day : the first garden-party 

 at the Residency. 



More than a hundred ladies and an equal number 

 of summer gowns are scattered over the English 

 lawns ; the masculine element, on the other hand, 

 being rather thinly represented. 



What lyric poetry, what richly coloured gaiety, 

 vfhaijoie de vivre vibrate to-day through Her Excel- 

 lency's realms, otherwise so still and exclusive ! 

 What a multi-coloured mass of dresses, hats, fans, 

 sunshades, and flowers large and small asters, tulips 

 of all colours and shades, dainty violets, brilliant 

 sunflowers, crimson roses, slender white lilies, grace- 

 ful irises with their astonished blue eyes and fair 

 hyacinth-bells ! 



Kissed by the golden sunbeams, they all open 

 their petals, whisper many a word of witchery, shoot 

 forth rays of passionate, sensuous colour, these 

 favourites of Nature. 



What a rose-coloured reality opens out before us 



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