ndering bands I could half discern among winding
walks and bordering bushes. I was soon taken into somewhat reprimanding
charge by an admirable, if important, negro, who sighted me from a door
beneath the porch of the house, and advanced upon me speedily. From him
I learned at once the rule of the place, that strangers were not allowed
to "go loose," as he expressed it; and recognizing the perfect propriety
of this restriction, I was humble, and even went so far as to put myself
right with him by quite ample purchases of the beautiful flowers that he
had for sale; some of these would be excellent for the up-country bride,
who certainly ought to have repentance from me in some form for my
silence as we had come up the river: the scenery had caused me most
ungallantly to forget her.

My rule-breaking turned out all to my advantage. The admirable and
important negro was so pacified by my liberal amends that he not only
placed the flowers which I had bought in a bucket of water to wait in
freshness until my tour of the gardens should be finished and the moment
for me to return upon the boat should arrive, but he also honored me
with his own special company; and instead of depositing me in one of the
groups of other travellers, he took me to see the sights alone, as if
I were somebody too distinguished to receive my impressions with the
common herd. Thus I was able to linger here and there, and even to
return to certain points for another look.

I shall not attempt to describe the azaleas at Live Oaks. You will
understand me quite well, I am sure, when I say that I had heard the
people at Mrs. Trevise's house talk so much about them, and praise them
so superlatively, that I was not prepared for much: my experience
of life had already included quite a number of azaleas. Moreover, my
meeting with Hortense and Charley had taken me far away from flowers.
But when that marvelous place burst upon me, I forgot Hortense. I have
seen gardens, many gardens, in England, in France; in Italy; I have seen
what can be done in great hothouses, and on great terraces; what can be
done under a roof, and what can be done in the open air with the aid
of architecture and sculpture and ornamental land and water; but no
horticulture that I have seen devised by mortal man approaches the
unearthly enchantment of the azaleas at Live Oaks. It was not like
seeing flowers at all; it was as if there, in the heart of the wild
and mystic wood, in the gray