The Devil's Garden

r! So be it. They'

Chirgwin was performing at it, and her aunt had always said that Ch

, dolefully discovered that it had run very low indeed. "I

ey-her little emergency hoard; and opening her handbag, and tumbling inside i

g sound inside the handbag. "There's other notes in there, old lady;" and, laughin

ng, her eyes shining, and with a happy laugh she sprang away fr

cial roses that any one might have sworn were real; her unbuttoned jacket disclosed the delicate finery of a muslin blouse; her long skirt, held up so gracefully by the unoccupied hand,

have another hug-a

re kisses till bedtime. I'm all ready to show my

hemselves. He caused immoderate laughter in her by assuming the airs of a man about town, by affecting a profound knowledge of the French names for all the dishes on the table d'hote menu, and by describing how offended he would now be if any one should detect that he was not a regular London swell; an

mostly froth and fizz, and no more strength t

h does i

with laughter, "since it's you that's pa

l, it's

about being a secret capitalist. "Blow the expense. Let the mone

half my pleasure if

ter a cruel, most bitterly cruel separation; her face was flushed with joy mo

amplight and noise, not minding the airless heat; but when they reached the entrance of the music

changed the bill. Chirgwin's name is

you kno

and he asked her again while they wai

; and I-I had the curiosity to look at the advertisemen

jovial, far-carrying voice; "th

the country;" and she squeezed his arm affectionately. "I don't mind a

program astounded or charmed him; and her enjoyment was enhanced by recognizing how completely he had thrown off the narrowness or prejudice of village life. Listening to his laughter at almost indecent jokes, his ejaculations of wonder when conjurers showed their skill, his enthus

parlor, which a Japanese necromancer had literally filled to overflowing with colored cardboard boxes produced from the interior of one single t

evening glided entrancingly, like a dream in wh

n drink in a refreshment saloon. It was appallingly hot, and they were both longing to quench their thirst with something big and cold. A

through a gilded doorway one had a vista of the thronged promenade; the air was hot, exhausted, pungent with tobacco smoke; and amid the chatter

liquid, as she slowly absorbed it through the straw, was freezing her intelligenc

the common women of the streets, but he considered them to be, morally, on the same level: although they did not accost strangers, they were all willing to scrape acquaintance with any one who looked as if he h

rying to listen,

s spirits in this stuff-ye

resher. Mostly crushed ice

ch the potency was only rendered doubtful because of their low temperature. The beginning of the long drink was absolutely deli

pty tumbler, and look

come over all funny.

the consequences of guileless straw-sucking; but with him the after effect

w preposterous giant-flowers-foxgloves so big that when they opened there was a human face in each quivering bell. And the flowers came out of the earth and danced; children dressed up as birds, brown boys like beetles, slim girls like butterflies, all came dan

round and round,

l he saw, not troubling to applaud any further, impassive as so

e undercurrent of every thought, there was the same deep-flowing comfort, of which the source lay in his relief at the escape from danger. Those fairies flashing about under the branches of sham trees momentarily evoked the ancient haunting distress of his youth, and out of this thought came t

with it. Too long! Enough is as good as a fe

ies with painted faces offering themselves for hire. And wherever he looked, he seemed to see evidences of amorous traffic. When you examined it attentively, the entire audience seemed to resolve itself into an endless repetition of the same small group of two persons of two sexes, each soliciting the other's favor; a man and a woman sitting close together, the couple, the factorial two-everywh

o experience of facts to strengthen his imagination. He gently pressed her arm, and thrilled at the mere contact. She was leaning back, fanning herself with her program, and

active only to his eyes, and that she could never again arouse d