Some of them, however, occupy their time very harmlessly and profitably
in gardening and beekeeping, their choicest fruits and vegetables, like
those of their neighbours, going to England. We went one day, carrying
big baskets with us, to visit the cure of a neighbouring village famous
for his green-gages, and certainly the little _presbytere_ looked very
inviting with its vine-covered walls and luxuriant flower-gardens. The
cure, who told us he had been gardening that morning from four till six
o'clock, received us very courteously, yet in a business-like way, and
immediately took us to his fruit and vegetable garden some way off. Here
we found the greatest possible profusion and evidence of skilful
gardening. The fruit-trees were laden, there were Alpine strawberries
with their bright red fruit, currants, melons, apricots, &c., and an
equal variety of vegetables. Not an inch of ground was wasted, nor were
flowers wanting for adornment and the bees--splendid double sun-flowers,
veritable little suns of gold, garden mallows, gladiolas and others; a
score and more of hives completed the picture which its owner
contemplated with natural pride.

"You have only just given your orders in time, ladies," he said; "all my
green-gages are to be gathered forthwith for the English market. Ah!
those English! those English! they take everything! our best fruit--and
the island of Cyprus!"

Whereupon I ventured to rejoin that, at least if we robbed our French
neighbours of their best fruit, our money found its way into the
grower's pocket. Of course these large purchases in country places make
home produce dearer for the inhabitants; but as the English agents pay a
higher price than others, the peasants and farmers hail their appearance
with delight. The fruit has to ripen on its way, and to enjoy a
green-gage, or melon, to the full, we must taste it here. In the autumn