myself. What do you think is the matter? To me, she looks as
silvery-lovely as usual; but you have a special pair of eyes, I know,
for roses."

"I fear--I think--ah! here he is, the beast! Yes, Margaret; a
caterpillar, curled up--see him! Right in the heart of this exquisite
bud. No wonder the whole plant has sickened; she is very sensitive, La
France. There, Madame, he is gone. Now, a little shower of quassia, just
to freshen you up; eh? See, Margaret, how gratefully the beautiful
creature responds. Now, Jack here,"--he passed on to a Jacqueminot rose,
covered with splendid crimson blossoms,--"Jack is thick-skinned, quite a
rhinoceros by contrast with La France or the Bride. Here
are--one--two--five--my patience! here are seven aphides on his poor
leaves, and yet he has not curled up so much as the edge of one. Take
him for all in all, Jack is as good a fellow as I know. Responsive,
cordial, ready for anything--not expecting to have the whole world
waiting on him, as some of these people do--ah, Hugh! Finished your
letters? That's right!"

Hugh Montfort, who had come in unobserved, was leaning on his stick,
watching them with some amusement.

"Who is this Jack, if I may ask, Uncle John? He seems to be a rather
remarkable sort of chap."

Mr. Montfort looked slightly confused. "Only my fantastic way of
speaking of my roses," he said. "They seem like real people to me, and I
am apt to call them by their names. A shame, to be sure, to take such
liberties with the General. Permit me to present you in due form! M. le
General Jacqueminot, I have the honor to present to you Mr. Hugh
Montfort, my nephew, and--may I say admirer? The General is sensitive to
admiration."

"You may indeed!" said Hugh, bowing gravely to the splendid plant.
"General, your most obedient servant! I have known others of your
family, some of them, I may say, intimately, and I can truly say that I
never saw a finer specimen of the race."

The General glowed responsive, and Mr. Montfort glowed too, with
pleasure. "Fond of roses?" he said; "that's good! that's good! why,
boy, you seem to have a great many of my tastes. How's that, hey? your
father never knew one flower from another."

There was a very tender light in Hugh's eyes as he returned his uncle's
look. "When I was a little chap, sir," he said, "my father used to tell
me a good deal about you and Uncle Roger, the two best fellows he ever
knew. I used to think--and I think still--that if I