ver, be
understood that, while thus discoursing, they often, to take away all
ground for suspicion, passed and repassed in front of the shelter-place
where the worthy dames were seated--talking the while on commonplace and
ordinary matters, and at times disporting themselves through the garden.

At last, in the space of half-an-hour, when the good women had become
well accustomed to this behaviour, James made a sign to Oliver, who
played his part with the girl that was with him so cleverly, that she
did not perceive the two lovers going into a close rilled with cherry
trees, and well shut in by tall rose trees and gooseberry bushes. (3)
They made show of going thither in order to gather some almonds which
were in a corner of the close, but their purpose was to gather plums.

3 Large gardens and enclosures were then plentiful in the
heart of Paris. Forty years ago, when the Boulevard
Sebastopol was laid out, it was found that many of the
houses in the ancient Rues St. Martin and St. Denis had, in
their rear, gardens of considerable extent containing
century-old trees, the existence of which had never been
suspected by the passers-by in those then cramped and dingy
thoroughfares.--M.

Accordingly, James, instead of giving his sweetheart a green gown, gave
her a red one, and its colour even came into her face through finding
herself surprised sooner than she had expected. And these plums of
theirs being ripe, they plucked them with such expedition that Oliver
himself had not believed it possible, but that he perceived the girl to
droop her gaze and look ashamed. This taught him the truth, for she had
before walked with head erect, with no fear lest the vein in her eye,
which ought to be red, should take an azure hue. However, when James
perceived her perturbation, he recalled her to herself by fitting
remonstrances.

Nevertheless, while making the next two or three turns about the garden,
she would not refrain from tears and sighs, or from saying again
and again--"Alas! was it for this you loved me? If only I could have
imagined it! Heavens! what shall I do? I am ruined for life. What will
you now think of me? I feel sure you will respect me no longer, if, at
least, you are one of those that love but for their own pleasure. Alas,
why did I not die before falling into such an error?"

She shed many tears while uttering these words, but James comforted her
with many promises and