8 A TOUE ROUND MY GATIDEN. 



permitted to appear in her air more hunger than love, or 

 whether, in short, the lover was not struck with one of those 

 intense flames which brave all dangers, he took to flight with 

 such rapidity that I lost sight of him, as doubtless did his 

 inhuman mistress, for she returned tranquilly to her ambus- 

 cade, to wait for other victims. 



1 had before been present at similar scenes ; for I have 

 passed a great part of my life in the countrj^, and had much 

 studied the habits of insects; but this time, the little drama 

 of which I had been a spectator made a particular impression 

 upon me, and my thoughts reverted to you. 



Truly, said I to myself, this must be a singular restlessness 

 of spirit, this love of travelling, and travellers are strange 

 beings to go to great distances, and at great expense, to see 

 new things, without having taken the trouble to look at their 

 feet or over their heads, where as many extraordinary and 

 unknown things are passing as they can possibly desire to 

 know. There he is, gone, continued I, still thinking of you; 

 and he may make the tour of the whole world without 

 meeting with so strange a love affair as I have just been a 

 witness of from my window. 



Under whatever part of the heavens they may dwell, in 

 whatever fashion they may dress, or not dress at all, men live 

 upon four or five passions, which are always the same, which 

 do not vary in their depths, and veiy little in their forms. 



Love nowhere presents so singular a drama as that which 

 has just passed before my eyes. 



In yonder tuft of moss, green as an emerald, wavy as velvet, 

 and as large as the palm of my hand, there are loves, hatreds, 

 combats, transformations, and miracles, going on, which are 

 perfectly unknown to us, and which we have never looked 

 after. And further, in great things, particularly such as 

 concern man, nature appears to have restricted herself to 

 rules almost invariable, whilst among flowers and insects, she 

 seems to have abandoned herself to the most strange and 

 delightful fantasies. 



A whimsical mania is that which makes men close their 

 eyes against all surrounding objects, and only deign to open 

 them at five hundred miles from home. 



"Well!" cried I to myself, " T also will make a voyage ; I 



