elizabeth and her german garden-第13部分

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ing　to　the　gate。

〃Through　this　gate；〃　I　replied　with　decision。

〃But　you　mustn'twe're　not　allowed　to　go　through　there　〃

So　strong　was　the　force　of　old　habits　in　that　place　that　at　the　words　not　allowed　my　hand　dropped　of　itself　from　the　latch；　and　at　that　instant　a　voice　calling　quite　close　to　us　through　the　mist　struck　me　rigid。

〃Elizabeth！　Elizabeth！〃　called　the　voice；　〃Come　in　at　once　to　your　lessonsElizabeth！　　Elizabeth！〃

〃It's　Miss　Robinson；〃　whispered　the　little　girl；　twinkling　with　excitement；　then；　catching　sight　of　my　face；　she　said　once　more　with　eager　insistence；　〃Who　are　you？〃

〃Oh；　I'm　a　ghost！〃　　I　cried　with　conviction；　pressing　my　hands　to　my　forehead　and　looking　round　fearfully。

〃Pooh；〃　said　the　little　girl。

It　was　the　last　remark　I　heard　her　make；　for　there　was　a　creaking　of　approaching　boots　in　the　bushes；　and　seized　by　a　frightful　panic　I　pulled　the　gate　open　with　one　desperate　pull；　flung　it　to　behind　me；　and　fled　out　and　away　down　the　wide；　misty　fields。

The　Gotha　Almanach　says　that　the　reigning　cousin　married　the　daughter　of　a　Mr。　Johnstone；　an　Englishman；　in　1885；　and　that　in　1886　their　only　child　was　born；　Elizabeth。　　　November　20th。Last　night　we　had　ten　degrees　of　frost　（Fahrenheit）；　and　I　went　out　the　first　thing　this　morning　to　see　what　had　become　of　the　tea…roses；　and　behold；　they　were　wide　awake　and　quite　cheerfulcovered　with　rime　it　is　true；　but　anything　but　black　and　shrivelled。　　Even　those　in　boxes　on　each　side　of　the　verandah　steps　were　perfectly　alive　and　full　of　buds；　and　one　in　particular；　a　Bouquet　d'Or；　is　a　mass　of　buds；　and　would　flower　if　it　could　get　the　least　encouragement。　I　am　beginning　to　think　that　the　tenderness　of　tea…roses　is　much　exaggerated；　and　am　certainly　very　glad　I　had　the　courage　to　try　them　in　this　northern　garden。　But　I　must　not　fly　too　boldly　in　the　face　of　Providence；　and　have　ordered　those　in　the　boxes　to　be　taken　into　the　greenhouse　for　the　winter；　and　hope　the　Bouquet　d'Or；　in　a　sunny　place　near　the　glass；　may　be　induced　to　open　some　of　those　buds。　The　greenhouse　is　only　used　as　a　refuge；　and　kept　at　a　temperature　just　above　freezing；　and　is　reserved　entirely　for　such　plants　as　cannot　stand　the　very　coldest　part　of　the　winter　out　of　doors。　I　don't　use　it　for　growing　anything；　because　I　don't　love　things　that　will　only　bear　the　garden　for　three　or　four　months　in　the　year　and　require　coaxing　and　petting　for　the　rest　of　it。　Give　me　a　garden　full　of　strong；　healthy　creatures；　able　to　stand　roughness　and　cold　without　dismally　giving　in　and　dying。　I　never　could　see　that　delicacy　of　constitution　is　pretty；　either　in　plants　or　women。　　No　doubt　there　are　many　lovely　flowers　to　be　had　by　heat　and　constant　coaxing；　but　then　for　each　of　these　there　are　fifty　others　still　lovelier　that　will　gratefully　grow　in　God's　wholesome　air　and　are　blessed　in　return　with　a　far　greater　intensity　of　scent　and　colour。

We　have　been　very　busy　till　now　getting　the　permanent　beds　into　order　and　planting　the　new　tea…roses；　and　I　am　looking　forward　to　next　summer　with　more　hope　than　ever　in　spite　of　my　many　failures。　I　wish　the　years　would　pass　quickly　that　will　bring　my　garden　to　perfection！　The　Persian　Yellows　have　gone　into　their　new　quarters；　and　their　place　is　occupied　by　the　tearose　Safrano；　all　the　rose　beds　are　carpeted　with　pansies　sown　in　July　and　transplanted　in　October；　each　bed　having　a　separate　colour。　The　purple　ones　are　the　most　charming　and　go　well　with　every　rose；　but　I　have　white　ones　with　Laurette　Messimy；　and　yellow　ones　with　Safrano；　and　a　new　red　sort　in　the　big　centre　bed　of　red　roses。　Round　the　semicircle　on　the　south　side　of　the　little　privet　hedge　two　rows　of　annual　larkspurs　in　all　their　delicate　shades　have　been　sown；　and　just　beyond　the　larkspurs；　on　the　grass；　is　a　semicircle　of　standard　tea　and　pillar　roses。

In　front　of　the　house　the　long　borders　have　been　stocked　with　larkspurs；　annual　and　perennial；　columbines；　giant　poppies；　pinks；　Madonna　lilies；　wallflowers；　hollyhocks；　perennial　phloxes；　peonies；　lavender；　starworts；　cornflowers；　Lychnis　chalcedonica；　and　bulbs　packed　in　wherever　bulbs　could　go。　　These　are　the　borders　that　were　so　hardly　used　by　the　other　gardener。　　The　spring　boxes　for　the　verandah　steps　have　been　filled　with　pink　and　white　and　yellow　tulips。　　I　love　tulips　better　than　any　other　spring　flower；　they　are　the　embodiment　of　alert　cheerfulness　and　tidy　grace；　and　next　to　a　hyacinth　look　like　a　wholesome；　freshly　tubbed　young　girl　beside　a　stout　lady　whose　every　movement　weighs　down　the　air　with　patchouli。　　Their　faint；　delicate　scent　is　refinement　itself；　and　is　there　anything　in　the　world　more　charming　than　the　sprightly　way　they　hold　up　their　little　faces　to　the　sun。　　I　have　heard　them　called　bold　and　flaunting；　but　to　me　they　seem　modest　grace　itself；　only　always　on　the　alert　to　enjoy　life　as　much　as　they　can　and　not　afraid　of　looking　the　sun　or　anything　else　above　them　in　the　face。　On　the　grass　there　are　two　beds　of　them　carpeted　with　forget…me…nots；　and　in　the　grass；　in　scattered　groups；　are　daffodils　and　narcissus。　Down　the　wilder　shrubbery　walks　foxgloves　and　mulleins　will　（I　hope）　shine　majestic；　and　one　cool　corner；　backed　by　a　group　of　firs；　is　graced　by　Madonna　lilies；　white　foxgloves；　and　columbines。

In　a　distant　glade　I　have　made　a　spring　garden　round　an　oak　tree　that　stands　alone　in　the　sungroups　of　crocuses；　daffodils；　narcissus；　hyacinths；　and　tulips；　among　such　flowering　shrubs　and　trees　as　Pirus　Malus　spectabilis；　floribunda；　and　coronaria；　Prunus　Juliana；　Mahaleb；　serotina；　triloba；　and　Pissardi；　Cydonias　and　Weigelias　in　every　colour；　and　several　kinds　of　Crataegus　and　other　May　lovelinesses。　　If　the　weather　behaves　itself　nicely；　and　we　get　gentle　rains　in　due　season；　I　think　this　little　corner　will　be　beautifulbut　what　a　big　〃if〃　it　is！　Drought　is　our　great　enemy；　and　the　two　last　summers　each　contained　five　weeks　of　blazing；　cloudless　heat　when　all　the　ditches　dried　up　and　the　soil　was　like　hot　pastry。　At　such　times　the　watering　is　naturally　quite　beyond　the　strength　of　two　men；　but　as　a　garden　is　a　place　to　be　happy　in；　and　not　one　where　you　want　to　meet　a　dozen　curious　eyes　at　every　turn；　I　should　not　like　to　have　more　than　these　two；　or　rather　one　and　a　halfthe　assistant　having　stork…like　proclivities　and　going　home　in　the　autumn　to　his　native　Russia；　returning　in　the　spring　with　the　first　warm　winds。　I　want　to　keep　him　over　the　winter；　as　there　is　much　to　be　done　even　then；　and　I　sounded　him　on　the　point　the　other　day。　He　is　the　most　abject…looking　of　human　beingslame；　and　afflicted　with　a　hideous　eye…disease；　but　he　is　a　good　worker　and　plods　along　unwearyingly　from　sunrise　to　dusk。

〃Pray；　my　good　stork；〃　said　I；　or　German　words　to　that　effect；　〃why　don't　you　stay　here　altogether；　instead　of　going　home　and　rioting　away　all　you　have　earned？〃

〃I　would　stay；〃　he　answered；〃　but　I　have　my　wife　there　in　Russia。〃

〃Your　wife！〃　　I　exclaimed；　stupidly　surprised　that　the　poor　deformed　creature　should　have　found　a　mateas　though　there　were　not　a　superfluity　of　mates　in　the　world〃I　didn't　know　you　were　married？〃

〃Yes；　and　I　have　two　little　children；　and　I　don't　know　what　they　would　do　if　I　were　not　to　come　home。　But　it　is　a　very　expensive　journey　to　Russia；　and　costs　me　every　time　seven　marks。〃

〃Seven　marks！〃

〃Yes；　it　is　a　great　sum。〃

I　wondered　whether　I　should　be　able　to　get　to　Russia　for　seven　marks；　supposing　I　were　to　be　seized　with　an　unnatural　craving　to　go　there。

All　the　labourers　who　work　here　from　March　to　December　are　Russians　and　Poles；　or　a　mixture　of　both。　　We　send　a　man　over　who　can　speak　their　language；　to　fetch　as　many　as　he　can　early　in　the　year；　and　they　arrive　with　their　bundles；　men　and　women　and　babies；　and　as　soon　as　they　have　got　here　and　had　their　fares　paid；　they　disappear　in　the　night　if　they　get　the　chance；　sometimes　fifty　of　them　at　a　time；　to　go　and　work　singly　or　in　couples　for　the　peasants；　who　pay　them　a　pfenning　or　two　more　a　day　than　we　do；　and　let　them　eat　with　the　family。　　From　us　they　get　a　mark　and　a　half　to　two　marks　a　day；　and　as　many　potatoes　as　they　can　eat。　　The　women　get　less；　not　because　they　work　less；　but　because　they　are　women　and　must　not　be　encouraged。　The　overseer　lives　with　them；　and　has　a　loaded　revolver　in　his　pocket　and　a　savage　dog　at　his　heels。　　　For　the　first　week　or　two　after　their　arrival；　the　foresters　and　other　permanent　officials　keep　guard　at　night　over　the　houses　they　are　put　into。　　I　suppose　they　find　it　sleepy　work；　for　certain　it　is　that　spring　after　spring　the　same　thing　happens；　fifty　of　them　getting　away　in　spite　of　all　our　precautions；　and　we　are　left　with　our　mouths　open　and　much　out　of　pocket。　This　spring；　by　some　mistake；　they　arrived　without　their　bundles；　which　had　gone　astray　on　the　road；　and；　as　they　travel　in　their　best　clothes；　they　refused　utterly　to　work　until　their　luggage　came。　Nearly　a　week　was　lost　waiting；　to　the　despair　of　all　in　authority。

Nor　will　any　persuasions　induce　them　to　do　anything　on　Saints'　days；　and　there　surely　never　was　a　church　so　full　of　them　as　the　Russian　Church。　　In　the　spring；　when　every　hour　is　of　vital　importance；　the　work　is　constantly　being　interrupted　by　them；　and　the　workers　lie　sleeping　in　the　sun　the　whole　day；　agreeably　conscious　that　they　are　pleasing　themselves　and　the　Church　at　one　and　the　same　time　a　state　of　perfection　as　rare　as　it　is　desirable。　　Reason　unaided　by　Faith　is　of　course　exasperated　at　this　waste　of　precious　time；　and　I　confess　that　during　the　first　mild　days　after　the　long　winter　frost　when　it　is　possible　to　begin　to　work　the　ground；　I　have　sympathised　with　the　gloom　of　the　Man　of　Wrath；　confronted　in　one　week　by　two　or　three　empty　days　on　which　no　man　will　labour；　and　have　listened　in　silence　to　his　remarks　about　distant　Russian　saints。

I　suppose　it　was　my　own　superfluous　amount　of　civilisation　that　made　me　pity　these　people　when　first　I　came　to　live　among　them。　They　herd　together　like　animals　and　do　the　work　of　animals；　but　in　spite　of　the　armed　overseer；　the　dirt　and　the　rags；　the　meals　of　potatoes　washed　down　by　weak　vinegar　and　water；　I　am　beginning　to　believe　that　they　would　strongly　object　to　soap；　I　am　sure　they　would　not　wear　new　clothes；　a