Bright convolvuluses twined in every thicket; tangled sword-grass grew luxuriant in every sheltered hollow; pale-eyed daisies nestled on the sward; the sweet scent of wild ragged roses filled the air; while all the trees were musical with trill of nightingale and coo of dove. In the green depths of the limes the yellow-coated bees were busy; they buzzed about the fragrant thyme on the overgrown molehills, and they sailed away heavy laden to store their golden honey in the heart of the gnarled old oak which, maybe, for ages had served as their treasury.
As the sun went down Adam and Eve sat together on a marble terrace that looked towards the golden west, and watched the bright orb slowly sink behind the distant pines.
Narjac brought a quaintly-worked brazier, in which shone a lurid mass of hot embers, and then, retiring, returned in a few moments with a golden tray, on which lay long-tubed pipes tipped with costly amber, a curious jar containing tobacco, and a flagon of wine.
