9b LA MORTOLA. 



warden, o-rows close to the house. It bears brownish- 

 vellow flowers which rise from the rosettes of leaves like 

 great bottle-brushes. This tree, I3anksia ?uai'C€Sse/is, is 

 one of the Proteaceae and a native of Australia. It would 

 be hard to lind anywhere in Europe another specimen 

 so well developed. Close to this tree hangs an ancient 

 Japanese bell which was once tolled in honour of Kwangai, 

 the Buddhist Goddess of Merc^-. 



What a wonderful view of the coast does the Palaz/.o 

 Orengo command! The spot seems almost too fair to 

 sojourn in. For what more would be left |to desire ? 

 What greater charm could one look forward to ? The 

 views which delight the spectator are framed in luxuriant 

 green and the gay colours of many flowers. The eye 

 ranges over the rugged shore and dreamily follows the 

 deep ravine in which the garden seems to stretch away 

 towards the mountains. A statel}' Palm lends enchantment 

 to the scene. To the east is a dark screen of foliage, 

 but the fIower\' Pergola soon leads one to the open 

 ridge. The da\' is declining and Old Rordighera begins 

 to glow in the rosy evening light. What a prospect lies 

 before us ! I knew a frail maiden — "a tender blossom 

 nipped before it blew" — who sought a refuge from death 

 at Mentone. To the last this golden dream was present 

 to her fevered sleep. It seemed a prophetic vision of a 

 fairer world. In her northern home the d\'ing girl stretched 

 her arms out longingly towards this imaged scene and a 

 happ-\- smile lit up her pale features. 



This Pergola, through which we stroll, is grown over 

 with an almost endless variet\' of creepers : This collec- 



