COMMUTER'S WIFE 131 



with shrubs and tall bushes of the older roses such 

 as Magna Charta and Jacqueminot. Some of these 

 met over the path and partly barred the way. At 

 this season of course the hardy plants could be dis- 

 tinguished only by their leaves, and being herba- 

 ceous, any night a hard frost might destroy even 

 this clue. 



There was a broad band of hollyhocks too well 

 placed against the honeysuckle bank to be dis- 

 turbed, straggling helter-skelter were foxgloves, 

 Canterbury bells, larkspurs, phloxes, sweet William, 

 columbines, white anemone Japonica still in bloom 

 in company with monkshood, hardy coreopsis, even- 

 ing primroses, honesty, and sunflowers, while the 

 autumnal growth of white, yellow, and red day 

 and tiger lilies and scarlet oriental poppies was 

 distinguishable. 



After several turns up and down in a brown 

 study, Evan threw back his head and cried : " I 

 have it ! I will have the men grub up all these 

 plants with the exception of the roses and shrubs 

 and put them on the walk, work over the beds 

 thoroughly, and dig in good old manure from that 

 heap in the field. Then the plants can be reset 

 neither in a jungle nor in stiff lines, but in groups 

 of a kind between the shrubs, which really, when 



