310 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 11,1896. 
EIIiEY DEAfiE. 
By Evelyn C. Griffiths. 
(All rights reserved.) 
CHAPTER VI. 
The Proposal. 
For three days Eiley hung between life and death ; 
then a change took place for the better ; conscious¬ 
ness returned, and Dr. Curum pronounced her out of 
danger, though very weak. Good nursing on the 
part of Susan, who was devoted to “ Miss Eiley,” 
and nourishment, regularly given, soon began to show 
its effect upon the patient, who rapidly gained 
strength. Lady Bewdley never came to see her, but 
sent Hortense once each day to enquire after her. 
It might have been Susan's fancy, but it always 
seemed to her that Hortense looked disappointed 
when told that Eiley was better. 
At last the dav arrived when Eiley was able to 
leave her room and go down supported by the faith¬ 
ful Susan’s arm to the small library. Susan placed 
her in a comfortable chair near the window; 
arranged some cushions at her back, and put a stool 
for her feet; then stepping back a pace or two 
looked at her patient with satisfaction beaming in 
her honest face. “ There, Miss Eiley, that’s a nice 
change, ain’t it, after being shut up in your bedroom 
for so long ? Is there anything else I can do for you 
afore I go ? ” 
■« No, thank you, Susan. You have placed me 
very comfortably. I shall enjoy looking out of the 
window,” Eiley replied cheerfully. 
“ Well, mind you take care of yourself, miss, whilst 
I’m gone. It is my afternoon out, you know. I 
shall go to your pa’s grave and put some flowers, and 
see as how there ain’t no weeds grown.” 
“ Oh, is it your day out, Susan ? I had forgotten. 
Will you be passing anywhere near to Mrs. 
Wilson’s ? ” 
"Yes, miss. I’m a-going right past her cottage. 
Can I take a message for you ? ” 
<• Yes, Susan, please ; if it is not troubling you too 
much?” "Oh, get along!” cried Susan with a 
giggle, “ A-talking of trouble, as if I wouldn’t do 
anything for you, Miss Eiley.” 
■■ Thank you,” replied Eiley, gently. " You are a 
good girl, Susan ; and I shall always remember your 
kindness to me. Take this key and go to my desk. 
You will find five pounds in it. I want you to give 
that to Mrs. Wilson and tell her I am so sorry not to 
have been able to pay it last month according to 
promise. Say that my money was stolen from me, 
and that I have been ill or I would have been to see 
her about it. I will pay the remainder as soon as I 
possibly can.” 
Whilst Eiley was speaking, Susan shifted from 
one foot to the other and turned the little key of the 
desk over and over, looking the picture of confusion. 
Observing this, Eiley added quickly, " But perhaps 
you would rather not take it, Susan ? If so, it really 
does not matter. I can write to Mrs. Wilson.” 
" Lor’, no, miss. It ain’t that, but—but—well, I 
don't think as how Mrs. Wilson wants your five 
pounds. She don’t, really ! ” 
" But that is nonsense, Susan. I owe the money, 
and the poor woman does require it very much, only 
she is kind enough to allow me to pay my debt by 
instalments.” Susan's face, which was of the rosy 
apple cast, had become a beautiful crimson, which 
extended from the roots of her light brown hair to 
her ears and neck, as this conversation proceeded. 
Suddenly putting the key down into Eiley’s lap, she 
blurted out, “ Well, there! You don’t owe her 
nothing, for she told me so herself! ” 
"Oh, you must have misunderstood her, Susan,” 
Eiley said with a puzzled look in her eyes. “ For I 
owe her fifteen pounds." 
“ No, you don’t,” replied Susan decidedly. “ I tell 
you, miss, it’s all right. She don't want none of 
your money. Don’t you believe me, Miss Eiley ? I 
never told you a lie, did I now ? The tears came 
into the poor girl’s eyes as she asked the question. 
No, Susan, I did not mean that, indeed ” ; and 
Eiley took the rough red hands in her soft white 
one. “ You see, you are speaking in riddles and I 
cannot follow your meaning. You say that I do not 
owe Mrs. Wilson anything ; then, in that case, the 
money must have been paid, and there should be a 
receipt forthcoming-” 
"Yes, that’s all right,” eagerly interrupted Susan. 
Fumbling in her pocket she drew out a paper and 
handed it to Eiley. “ That’s it, miss.” 
The sick girl took the paper, and having satisfied 
herself that it was a correct receipt, looked up at 
Susan in surprise. "Yes,” she said, ” this is a receipt 
for the whole amount, fifteen pounds ; but who paid 
it, Susan ? ” 
“ I paid it," promptly replied the girl; “ but it 
warn’t my money.” 
“Whose money was it?” asked Eiley. “Did 
Lady Bewdley send you with it ? ” 
“ Not she! ” cried Susan, with a sneer. “ But look 
here, Miss Eiley ; it ain't right of you to go asking of 
me such a lot of questions when I promised, honour 
bright, not to tell you who paid it. If the party as 
don’t want you to know who the party was—which 
I think awful stupid—gets me to promise as I won't 
let out, I ain’t the girl to break my word which I 
give to that party ! So it ain’t of no use of you to 
keep on a-asking of me, because you see it's honour 
bright! ” 
Having delivered this stupendous speech, Susan 
took leave of Eiley for the afternoon, feeling very 
triumphant at having kept ” the party’s ” secret. 
It was about ten days after this conversation that 
Eiley was sitting in Lady Bewdley’s boudoir, writing 
some letters for her ladyship. She was still looking 
pale from her recent illness and was feeling weary 
over her work, not yet being at all strong, so felt 
thankful when Lady Bewdley, who was sitting near 
the window, said, " That will do for to-day, Miss 
Deane; you can answer those other letters to¬ 
morrow. I see Dr. Curum coming up the drive. 
He told me he would be calling this afternoon to see 
you.” 
" To see me, Lady Bewdley ! But I am quite well 
again now. I did not expect Dr. Curum to see me 
again professionally.” 
"It is not to be a professional visit, I believe,” 
replied Lady Bewdley, coldly. 
A servant entered at this moment to say that Dr. 
Curum wished to see Miss Deane. 
" Miss Deane will see Dr. Curum in the library,” 
said Lady Bewdley ; then when the servant had left 
the room : " I may as well tell you that Dr. Curum 
is about to make an offer, and if you take my advice 
you will accept it. I told him yesterday that I 
should not be requiring your services very much 
longer, so he thought it would be advisable to speak 
to you to-day. You had better go down at once.” 
Eiley left the room without making any reply and 
went slowly towards the library, thinking over the 
new turn her affairs had taken. Lady Bewdley had 
told her some time previously that she intended 
keeping her on as companion, and nowit seemed she 
bad altered her mind and had evidently asked Dr. 
Curum to get her another post. What was the 
reason ? Had she given offence unintentionally ? 
Anyhow, she would refuse Dr. Curum’s offer if it 
was to nurse another of his patients, for she did not 
feel strong enough for the work. 
Just as she was about to put her foot upon the last 
step of the staircase she noticed a small rose-bud 
lying upon it. She recognised it at once as one that 
Lord Bewdley had been wearing in his buttonhole all 
the morning. Giving a hasty glance around she 
stooped down and picked it up, quickly slipping it 
into her pocket. Turning to goto the library she 
found herself face to face with Lord Bewdley, who 
was coming from the billiard room. Had he seen? 
If so, his face did not betray it as he stepped forward 
to open the library door for her. Eiley blushed 
painfully as she bowed to him and passed into the 
room. 
(To be continued). 
—--*■- 
©Mtuar\>. 
On the 30th ult ., M r. Henry Trotter, gardener to the 
Marquis of Waterford, at Ford Castle, Northumber¬ 
land died after a few weeks’ illness. Mr. Trotter had 
an attack of influenza a few weeks ago and was re¬ 
covering, but had a relapse and succumbed on 
Monday. Seeing that he was born at Ford, and 
had been gardener at Ford Castle for upwards of 
forty years, Mr. Trotter was well-known among 
horticulturists. Of a kindly disposition, he was 
always ready to take anyone through the well-kept 
gardens. Of his ability as a gardener, the gardens 
at Ford, which for many a year have been models of 
neatness, can testify. Mr Trotter had the esteem 
of all and will be greatly missed. It is all the more 
sad that his only brother, George, who was gardener 
to Mr Lambton at Fenton, died about a month ago. 
He leaves a widow, three sons and a daughter, for 
whom very great sympathy is felt. 
QUGSCIODS ADD ADS>0JGF$ 
%• Will our friends who send us newspapers be so good 
as to mark the paragraphs or articles they wish us to see 
We shall be greatly obliged by their so doing. 
Cannas not flowering.— R. S. Wise : From what 
you say we are of opinion that the Cannas which 
refused to flower have behaved in this way for several 
reasons. We suspect that the temperature was 
allowed to get too low in the autumn. They die 
down naturally every year on the approach of 
cold weather in autumn if in any way exposed to its 
effect, out of doors or under glass. A temperature 
of 50° should, however, have enabled the flowers to 
expand. Then, again, Cannas in 32-size pots require 
feeding to keep up their vigour. The small pots 
and the fact that the plants are seedlings may be the 
cause of their not flowering. We should advise you 
to let them go to rest now by keeping them fairly dry 
in a cool house. Re-pot the roots in spring, putting 
them into larger pots if the size of the bulbs renders 
this necessary, or you can divide the rhizomes with a 
sharp knife if small plants are more desirable. With 
a long season before them they should flower freely 
enough next summer. Equal parts of good fibrous 
loam, well-rotted cow dung, and sand should con¬ 
stitute a good compost. 
Names of Plants. — J. R.: Tamarix gallica ; 2, 
Myrtus communis.— A W.: 1, Libonia floribunda; 
2, Petasites fragrans; 3, Helleborus niger altifolius 
(usually known as H. n. maximus) ; 4, Chimonanthus 
fragrans grandiflorus.— T. B. : 1, Pteris hastata 
macrophylla ; 2, Selaginella uncinata; 3, Hymeno- 
phyllum tunbridgense ; 4, Lomaria ciliata.— W. T. : 
1, Oncidium reflexum; 2, Oncidium ampliatum 
majus — A. S.: Scolopendrium rhizophyllum 
(formerly known as Camptosorus rhizophyllus). 
Names of Fruits —IF. O.: Apples—1, not 
recognised ; 2 and 3, Hoary Morning; 4, not 
recognised ; 5 and 6, Hambledon Deux Ans; 7, 
Rymer ; 8, Dutch Codlin. British Apples are now 
out of season, and there is a little doubt about the 
correctness of the abive determinations. 
Eupatorium to Name. — H. B. : You have 
neglected to enclose a specimen. Please send again. 
Everlasting Peas.— H. B. : They are of very 
slow growth the first year or two from seed. We 
have sown them in heat and also in the open air, but 
could not get them to bloom till the second or third 
year. The seeds should be sown 6 in. apart if in the 
situation they are intended to remain, and 3 in- to 
4 in. apart in rows for transplanting at the end of 
the first or second year. You cannot do more to 
forward them than by sowing the seeds in pots as 
soon as they are ripe, placing them in a greenhouse, 
and planting out the seedlings in April. 
Carbon dioxide in the air. — New Subscriber : Yes, 
I. 39 in 10.000 volumes of air is a very small per¬ 
centage. R. Warington, F.C.S., a good authority, 
says'that the rate is about three and a half volumes 
of carbon dioxide to 10,000 volumes of air ; but in 
this particular case the finding of Dr. Brown was as 
stated. The amount varies greatly, and four in 
10,000 volumes might occur, but, generally, that 
would be a big average, though not excessive. 
Communications Received. — A. P.— J. G. 
Pettinger.—Geo. Potts.—A. Hope.—G. J. Ingram. 
J. Spriggs.—A. L.—T. S.—Subscriber.—M. H.— 
J. S.—S. T. W—J. M.—R. B.—Dion, Felix.— J. 
Ayres.—J. O.—Enquirer.—F. Johnson.—M- T.— 
Wm. Craik—J. Laing & Sons.—Pope Manufactur¬ 
ing Co. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED- 
Dicksons, Chester.—Select Vegetable and Flower 
Seeds, Seed Potatos, &c. 
Henry Eckford, Wem, Shropshire.—Select List 
of Sweet Peas, Culinary Peas, Vegetable and 
Flower Seeds. 
W. Drummond & Sons, Ltd., Stirling.—Garden 
Seed Catalogue. 
Kelway & Son, Langport, Somerset.—Kelway's 
Manual of Seed Plants and Bulbs. 
Barr & Son, 12, King Street, Covent Garden, 
London.—Barr’s Vegetable and Flower Seed Guide. 
Robert Sydenham, New Tenby Street, Birming¬ 
ham.—Mr. Robert Sydenham's Unique List of the 
best Vegetable and Flower Seeds. 
H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, Kent —Allotment 
Holder’s Guide and Seed and Plant List. 
James Dickson & Sons, 32, Hanover Street, Edin¬ 
burgh—Catalogue of Vegetable and Flower Seeds. 
H. Allen Davies, Linkfield Corner, Redhill, 
Surrey —Select list of Vegetable and Flower Seeds, 
See. , 
Harrison & Sons, Royal Midland Seed V are- 
house, Leicester.—Leicester Seeds. 
H Cannell & Sons, Swanley, Kent.—Illustrated 
and Complete Descriptive List of Chrysanthemums. 
M. Cuthbertson, Rothesay, N B.—Cuthbertson’s 
Catalogue of Flower and egetable Seeds, 
Herbaceous Plants, &c. 
-- 
LONDON SEED TRADE. 
Jan. yth, 1896. 
Messrs. Hurst &Son, 152, Houndsditch, and 39, 
Seed Market, Mark Lane, report a better demand 
for Red Clover at unchanged rates. White Clover 
is cheaper owing to large supplies. Alsike and 
Trefoil steady. Ryegrasses firm. 
