248 A TOUK HOUND MY GAUDEN. 



RSmond had been conquered in tulips, had taken his revenge 

 in auriculas, but the equilibrium had been reestablished by 

 the blooming of the ranunculuses. 



But in the month of June, M. RImond led M. Ollbruck to 

 a corner of his garden, and showed him a large thistle with 

 immense leaves spotted with white, called the Charden-marie, 

 in full splendour. 



Now, this is really a plant of great magnificence, and of 

 which I take particular care in my garden j but could never 

 be deemed worthy of a second glance by so thorough an 

 amateur as M. Ollbruck. "We do not cultivate thistles ; and, 

 however handsome a thistle may be, it is but a thistle. 



M. Esmond would not have thought much of it in his 

 neighbour's garden; but in his own, it was, he said, an ad- 

 mirable plant. 



M. Ollbruck asked him why he did not make a collection 

 of nettles, and a collection of chickweed, as well as a collection 

 of thistles. They parted comfortably, and M. Ollbruck, avail- 

 ing himself of the first pretext to write to his friend and rival, 

 addressed him thus : 



" A Monsieur, 

 Monsieur Remond, orties-culteur." 



For this piece of diluted facetiousness it was that M. Oll- 

 bruck came to ask a pardon which M. R6mond granted with 

 great eagerness; and each began the performance of his 

 character. 



M. Remond rubbed his hands and said, " Ah ! ah ! my fine 

 fellow, it is not a thistle this time ; it is a good and a beau- 

 tiful thing; it is something quite unknown, something that 

 you have never seen; you will not have tmidh occasion to 

 crow over me this year." 



M. Ollbruck, on the contrary, said, " You will not have 

 much trouble in beating me ; for I have really nothing : — 

 ah ! yes, — but a bagatelle, a nothing, which does not displease 

 me ; but which you, perhaps, will not deign to look at, — and, 

 perhaps, you will be in the right; for, perhaps, I am wrong 

 in admiring it." 



And M. Rgmond, who knew his man, said to himself: 

 " Hem ! hem ! it would appear he has something very good, 

 that is his manner; but never mind that, all the better even : 



