166 A TOUK EOITND MT GAHDBN, 



tearing them up, one by one, and trampling tiiem under hiis 

 feet. I understood, from Ms broken exclamations, that the 

 auriculas had ayenged themselves for the ill treatment they 

 had received, by not fulfilling the conditions he required and 

 had hoped for. 



I, however, ventured a few questions, to assure myself of 

 the fact, and at the same time to learn what horrible offence 

 could have been committed by these poor flowers, which 

 appeared to me to be decked with the richest colours, and to 

 be in perfection. He continued his execution, pronouncing 

 upon every one his motives of judgment and condemnation, 

 before he crushed it under his feet, 



I will place you in a condition to do as I did, and to derive 

 instruction ; that is to say, to learn what are the duties of 

 the auricula towards its cultivator, and how it transgresses 

 them. 



He took up one of a beautiful velvety blue. Its stalk is 

 too short, said he, and he crushed it. To this succeeded 

 another of a rich velvet brown, with a white circle which 

 is called the eye ; its stalk is too long — crushed. A velvet 

 orange; the flower is not exactly round — crushed. A deep 

 purple velvet ; the bouquet has only eight flowers, it ought 

 to have twelve — crushed. A velvet olive; the eye slimy 

 (that is to say, it is slightly tinged with the olive colour) 

 — crushed. A velvet yeUow; the eye does not occupy a 

 third of the circumference of the flower; that is the least 

 it ought possibly to do ; I have a friend who requires half — 

 I am more indulgent, but I cannot admit this — crushed. A 

 velvet pale violet ; the eye is not exactly round — crushed. 

 A deep violet velvet ; eh ! what do you do here ? your clou 

 exceeds your paillettes, a pretty thing that ! 



Here I stopped the judge and executioner to request an 

 explanation. Auricula fanciers call the pistils the clou, and 

 the stamens the paillettes. The stamens ought to extend 

 beyond the pistils, and appear alone; it is a very serious 

 thing when the contrary happens to be the case. Whatever 

 may be the colour or the splendour of the flower, a true 

 amateur would scorn to keep such a one in his collection. 



A hundred charming flowers were thus sacrificed before 

 my eyes, I in vain endeavoured to save them by begging 



