THE CHARM OF GARDENS 



But, as I looked at him, it seemed, as though he 

 listened for the sound of wheels, and turned his sight- 

 less eyes to look for the figure of Lady Perpetua. 



" She was very fair," I said, understanding him, 

 knowing that he had seen many generations drive 

 through the gates he sat to guard. " She would come 

 down to the lodge-keeper's house to take her breakfast 

 draught of small ale. Poor Lady Perpetua, she was a 

 good house wife, and saw to the pickling of Nasturtium 

 buds, and Lime Tree buds, and Elder roots ; and ordered 

 the salting of the winter beef ; and looked to it that 

 plenty of Parsnips were stored to eat with it. What 

 sights you must have seen ! " 



Even as I talked there emanated from the Stone 

 Dog some atmosphere of the past, and we were once 

 more in a fair English park, with its orangeries, and 

 houses of exotic plants, and its maze, and leaden statues, 

 and cut yew trees, and lordly peacocks. The great 

 trees had been cut down, and the timber sold; acres 

 of land, once grazing ground for herds of deer, were 

 ploughed 5 here, in front of us, was the tangled wood, 

 a corner of what was, once, a wild garden — a fancy of 

 Lady Perpetua's, no doubt, who loved solitudes, and 

 sentimental poetry : 



" I could not love thee, dear, so much ; 

 Loved I not honour more." 



Perhaps it was here she met young Hervey ; perhaps 

 it was here Lord Bois found them, cutting initials oh 

 one of those very trees, G. H. and P. B. and two hearts 

 with' an arrow through them. Ah ! then the smile 

 Sir Peter Lely painted faded to a quiver of the lips. 

 Lord Bois looked at the trembling mouth and his glance 

 flew to the initials on the tree. " So this is why, madam, 

 I could hear him say, " you took to sylvan glades like 

 a timid deer ; so this is why you coaxed me up to 



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