with the ladies and gentlemen of the party to meet the elegant procession. And elegant indeed it was, elegant and gay and various and fragrant. First came Susette and Fanchon, the rival queens, all attired in white, and decorated, the one with rose buds, the other with the azure creeper before mentioned; ribands of rose colour and of blue were mingled with the several garlands; the next pair were the acanthus and the laurel, with scarfs of green and purple; then came the fragrant hyacinth, and the auricula; the woodbine and the columbine adorned another smiling pair; and as each lovely couple passed by the group of ladies and gentlemen they greeted and were greeted by smiles and courtesies, as gracefully bestowed and received as if the lawn had been a royal presence chamber, and the Baronne a crowned head. As each lovely pair passed the Baronne the parties separated, and formed a variety of blooming and lovely groups around the company, meriting and receiving that admiration which was due to their smiling and charming figures, and the taste which each had displayed in the arrangement of her fragrant ornaments. The last of

the procession was Madame Bulé herself, leading the youngest of her pupils and little Aimée by the hand; the exercise and ex

citement of the scene had given an extraordinary lustre to the complexion of my little favourite, yet her eyes retained their usually placid and gentle expression. She seemed to be attentive to what passed, and also pleased, but there was not that restless anxiety in her countenance which was remarkable in all those amongst her companions who thought they had any chance of obtaining

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the crown; her enjoyment of the scene was therefore as unmixed as it had been when she was gathering her favourite flowers in the depths of the forest. She, like the rest of her companions, was attired in white, and with no other head dress than those clustering ringlets which, together with the delicate tincture of her skin, marked her Saxon ancestry. She had formed a lovely garland of her lilies, having woven them together with a band of light green ribands, tied on her right shoulder with a knot, and falling under her left arm. I saw the eyes of the Baronne rest upon this lovely child for a moment; but as soon as Madame Bulé dropped her hand, she receded into the back ground, and her elegant form was soon wholly shrouded by the more splendid figures of her companions.

Our nation are remarkable for being able to pay a compliment with grace and delicacy; and what occasion, I would ask, could have administered fairer opportunities of doing this with truth than the present? Neither were the gentlemen, or even the ladies, then present, slow in availing themselves of these opportunities; every comparison or simile

in which flowers have any concern was called forth on the occasion, and the exhilaration of the moment enabled even the most dull to do this with effect. But did I say dull? What Frenchwoman was ever dull in a scene such as the lawn then presented?

Your Feast of the Flowers, Madame la Baronne, said the Viscomtesse de T-, is splendid, is superb-it surpasses all I could have conceived of a thing of the kind. Yet I cannot say that these elegant garlands add beauty to these charming young ladies; I would rather say that these flowers derive new splendour from the beauty of those who wear them. And she appealed for the confirmation of her assertion to the Conte de S- one of the few specimens then remaining of the court of Louis XV.

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Being thus called upon, the old courtier endeavoured to produce some compliment of a superior nature to that of the lady, and asserted, that the roses were grown pale, and the jasmines yellow, for envy, to find that their bloom and sweetness were entirely surpassed by those who had chosen them for

ornaments.

This species of light and trifling conversation had proceeded for some time, when the Baronne took her place beneath the statue, and having commanded the band to cease their strain, caused the crown to be handed to her; whilst, by the direction of Madame Bulé, the young ladies formed a half circle around her, the rest of the company, of whatever degree they might be, gathering close in the back ground.

There was a momentary pause and dead silence in the company, whilst a servant climbed upon the high pedestal of the statue and carefully lifted the crown from the head. It was then delivered into the hands of the Baronne, and as I stood next to her, I saw that it was a beautiful thing; it was not of real myrtle, which would presently have faded, but was an imitation of myrtle, the leaves being formed of foil, the flowers of gold and mother of pearl, and the berries of coral; it was beautifully executed, and the motto, in letters of gold, wrought on a blue riband, twisted into the wreath. The Viscomtesse de T—, who stood on the right hand of the Baronne, as I did at the left,