1} THE LOST PRINCE. 13

betook herself to the healthy and pleasant pursuit of
gardening. As it might well be in the case of a
palace belonging to so great a monarch, the gardens
attached to the royal residence were very spacious,
and no expense was spared to bring them to the
greatest perfection. Numerous gardeners were em-
ployed, some whose special duty it was to look after
the acres of glass under which the choicest fruit was
reared for the royal table, others who devoted their
attention exclusively to flowers, a third body to whom
vegetables were the sole care, and a staff of labourers.
whose whole occupation consisted in keeping the lawns
well mown and smooth, in sweeping dead leaves from
the paths, and in raking and keeping in proper order
the miles of gravel walks for which the royal gardens
were so famous.

In these gardens and the adjoining shrubberies
the Queen passed a great part of her time, sometimes
alone, and not unfrequently accompanied by one or
other of her daughters. One very lovely evening Her
Majesty had strolled to the further extremity of the
garden, and taken her seat upon a rustic bench which
she had long ago caused to be placed under an ancient
oak close to the forest. She was quite alone ; and as she
sat listening to the many soothing sounds which filled
the air, her melancholy became quite irrepressible,
and the tears ran fast down her cheeks as she thought
of her past happiness and present sorrow. The voice
of Nature seemed to speak of peace and joy and love.
The tender woodpigeon gently coo’d her ‘ good-night’
to her faithful mate, the clear and melodious note of
the nightingale fell with pleasant cadence upon the