led mass of leafy beauty of
surpassing loveliness; and thus the rarest orchids were seen stretching
their delicate tendrils over forest-trees, and the cactus and the mimosa
mingled with common field-flowers. If I linger amongst these things, it
is because they contrasted so strikingly to me with the trim propriety
and fastidious neatness of the Malibran Villa, where no leaf littered
a walk, nor a single tarnished blossom was suffered to remain on its
stalk. Yet was the Abazzia Villa a thousand times more beautiful. In
the one, the uppermost thought was the endless care and skill of the
gardeners, and the wealth that had provided them. The clink of gold
seemed to rise from the crushed gravel as you walked; the fountains
glittered with gold; the conservatories exhaled it. Here, however,
it seemed as though Nature, rich in her own unbounded resources, was
showing how little she needed of man or his appliances. It was the
very exuberance of growth on every side; and all this backed by a bold
mountain lofty as an Alp, and washed by a sea in front, and that sea the
blue Adriatic.

I had often heard of the thrift and parsimony of Herr Oppovich's
household. Even in the humble eating-house I frequented, sneers at its
economies were frequent. No trace of such a saving spirit displayed
itself on this occasion. Not merely were guests largely and freely
invited, but carriages were stationed at appointed spots to convey them
to the villa, and a number of boats awaited at the mole for those who
preferred to go by water. This latter mode of conveyance was adopted by
the clerks and officials of the house, as savoring less of pretension;
and so was it that just as the morning was ripening into warmth, I
found myself one of a large company in a wide eight-oared boat, calmly
skimming along towards Abazzia. By some accident I got separated from
Hanserl; and when I waved my hand to him to join me, he delayed
to return my salutation, for, as he said afterwards, I was _gar
schon_,--quite fine,--and he did not recognize me.

It was true I had dressed myself in the velvet jacket and vest I had
worn on the night of our own fete, and wore my velvet cap, without,
however, the heron feather, any more than I put on any of my trinkets,
or even my watch.

This studied simplicity on my part was not rewarded as I hoped for;
since, scarcely were we under way, than my dress and "get-up" became the
subject of an animated debate among my companions, who d