228 THE GARDEN OF A 



Leigh Hunt, spending an hour of mystery in the 

 Tower with Ainsworth, or, being in a frivolous mood, 

 donning a moral mask, the more discreetly to follow 

 Houssaye, a gentleman of Evan's introduction, into 

 the company of the Duke of Buckingham and 

 Madame Popeliniere. 



Shakespeare was a sage for any and every day, 

 and our merry-making paper Puck chose a headline 

 that no one will dispute : " What fools these mortals 

 be!" 



It is narrow for me to criticise the ways of these 

 women. They could not have my father for theirs 

 or be married to Evan, so what can be expected of 

 them ? It's a combination of sheer good luck and 

 stupidity that my sporting interests have gone to 

 horses, dogs, and garden, instead of to " bridge." 



But worst of all to my country-bred body was the 

 two weeks of going late to bed wide awake and 

 vibrating, and of waking up dull and exhausted. 



Ah ! the snow clouds have parted before the last 

 sunbeams, proving it March and not December. 

 One more walk amid the snow draperies that have 

 cheered the winter, and lingering here kept away 

 the only combination which the country dweller need 



