ved with a mosaic shell-work, and sufficiently wide for two
or three persons to walk abreast. It is impossible to describe the
wondrous effect produced by this rich display of tropical vegetation in
the midst of a European winter, and almost in the very centre of a
ballroom. Here might be seen gigantic bananas stretching their tall arms
to the glass roof which covered them, and blending the vivid green of
their palms with the lanceolated leaves of the large magnolias, some of
which already displayed their matchless and odoriferous flowers with
their bell-shaped calices, purple without and silvery white within, from
which started forth the little gold-threaded stamens. At a little
distance were grouped the palm and date-trees of the Levant; the red
macaw, and fig-trees from India; all blooming in full health and vigour,
and displaying their foliage in all its luxuriance, gave to the _tout
ensemble_ a mass of rich, brilliant tropical verdure, which, glittering
among the thousand lights, sparkled with the colours of the emerald.

Along the trellising, between the orange-trees, and amid the clumps,
were trained every variety of rare climbing plants; sometimes hanging
their long wreaths of leaves and flowers in graceful festoons, then
depending like blooming serpents from the tall boughs; now trailing at
their roots, then ambitiously scaling the very walls, till they hung
their united tresses round the transparent and vaulted roof, from which
again they floated in mingled masses, waving in the pure, light breeze
loaded with so many odours. The winged pomegranate, the passion-flower,
with its large purple flowers striated with azure, and crowned with its
dark violet tuft, waved in long spiral wreaths over the heads of the
admiring crowd, then, as though fatigued with the sport, threw their
colossal garlands of delicate flowers across the hard, prickly leaves of
the gigantic aloes.

The bignonia of India, with its long, cup-shaped flower of dark sulphur
colour, and slight, slender leaves, was placed beside the delicate
flesh-coloured petals of the stephanotis, so justly appreciated for its
exquisite perfume; the two stems mutually clinging to each other for
support, and mingling their leaves and flowers in one confused mass,
disposed them in elegant festoons of green fringe spangled with gold and
silver spots, around the immense velvet foliage of the Indian fig.
Farther on, started forth, and then fell again in a sort of varie