76 THE FLORAL TELEGRAPH. 
Violetta thought it all very strange ; 
so she sat still, regularly, one hour 
after breakfast twiddling her thumbs 
to be made love to, and walked in 
the Garden two, and rode out three, 
for the same notable purpose. But 
the lout was craven—and, in a whole 
month, got no farther in the chapter 
of gallantry than drawling out, ‘ Cou¬ 
sin Vi, I declare that, in the carrying 
of your farthingale, you beat our 
maid, Cis.’ 
“ But I persecuted him. I placed 
the hideous toad in his path, and, in 
the evening, made the owl hoot at 
him. As he attempted to walk in 
state before his mistress, I conveyed 
