THE BREATH OF AUTUMN 
99 
their less assertive neighbours. The lovely butterfly 
gladioli, with their fair sister, the gandavensis, are 
growing in luminous sheaves between the dark, pointed 
leafage and uplifted white and rosy blossoms of the 
graceful Japanese anemone, while light wands of the 
blue and the white Campanula pyramidalis cluster 
together here and there at pleasant intervals. Behind 
these again, dahlias of the Single, the “ Decorative,” 
and the Cactus kinds fling fine splashes of colour, now 
bold, now delicate, all about their green towers. And, 
highest of all by far, behind the hedge of dahlias the 
tall holly-hocks have reared their jewel-fretted spires. 
These seem more wonderful this year than ever of old; 
why, I could not tell; but it may be that they owe 
some added splendours to the clouded translucence of 
their single cups. For I have finally discarded the 
double hollyhock as being altogether inferior in beauty 
as well as healthfulness to its simpler relative, whose 
generous growth and shining crystalline chalices by 
comparison make the crumpled rosettes that bedeck 
the more ornate variety cut a very unshapely figure 
indeed, for all their elaboration. Almost all those 
colours which make most instant appeal to the imagina¬ 
tion in fruits and precious stones are here in exquisite 
quality of tone and texture; but it is at moments 
when the sun strikes these Sultan’s Turrets with a shaft 
of light that the full enchantment of them is disclosed. 
Some are hued like apple-blossom and pearl, some 
blush with the rose complexion of the peach, others 
show the pale primrose of melons, dimly distained 
with faintest green; some there are like living opals, 
