Laying Out a Square Garden . 13 
After that we got happier, for the bright 
thought struck us that we would have a moat; 
and a splendid deep hole we dug, although 
the turf was hard. But really, old John was 
extremely angry ! He said that such young ladies 
he did never know, and he even threatened to 
give us no more flower-seeds and to lock up the 
tool-house when we wanted to get light rakes. 
I fear young ladies are sad plagues to gardeners ! 
However, with our experience of John’s indig- 
nation, you see I should be wrong to advise you to 
dig a moat. 
For ourselves, we took to a portcullis, and as 
we had just read Marmion it all came very pat. 
The portcullis, however, is rather an awkward 
thing — it is so apt either not to fall when we wish 
it would, or else, being down, it may refuse to rise ; 
and when people’s gardens are so strongly fortified, 
it sounds unreasonable, though possible, to clear 
the walls in a flying leap ! 
For my own part, if the time were to come 
again, I think that a gate might, after all, answer 
best. 
Some of us are sure to have packthread, and 
very likely some bits of good stout cord, or even 
of strongish wire ; cord does best though. 
