een planted in the time of the young
Consul's grandfather, spread out their branches far and wide. The
shining dark green foliage hung in rich festoons nearly to the ground,
and the long shoots were fringed with masses of tufted beech-nuts.

A mysterious silence reigned in the garden, while the moonlight came
rippling noiselessly through the leaves and stealing down the trunks,
forming patches of radiance on the grass, which were sharply defined by
the edges of the dark shadows. Goldfinches, bullfinches, a few thrushes,
and other autumn birds, were sitting in the aspen trees. They were
mostly occupied in quietly pluming their feathers, and only some of the
young birds, which had been hatched that spring, were hopping about from
branch to branch. The parents sat watching them, thinking, doubtless,
how delightful it was to be young and innocent. All nature seemed to
have reached maturity, and the restless activity of spring was
forgotten. The birds were now calm and sober enough. The cocks and hens
sat peacefully side by side, no advances were made or encouraged.
Love-making, with all its follies, was at an end for that year. Only the
curious dragon-flies, with their four long wings and taper bodies, were
still busy with their love-dances over the pond. August had been so
rainy and windy that they seemed anxious to make the most of the still
autumn evening. The males were sitting dotted about among the reeds,
peering on every side with their prominent eyes, and when one approached
another too closely, the two would rush at each other till their
transparent wings, like delicate plates of silver, and their scaly
bodies, made a tiny rustling when they met in conflict. Then all was
still again among the rushes, until the arrival of a female dragon-fly.
She would come slowly and carelessly humming along from some other part
of the garden, and when she got near the pond would change her course,
turn off, and fly back again. Her little heart was doubtless beating
high; but casting aside her fears, she at length took courage, and sped
on over the pond. Away started five or six males, dashing at each other
like knights in helm and harness, and battling confusedly amid the clash
of tiny weapons. But the happy victor soon bid adieu to the conflict,
and sailed past the others to the side of his lovely prize. Their wings
met for a moment in mimic combat, and then away they glided in close
embrace far over the heads of the discomfited c