There was a tiny
lawn, well kept, and covered with short, soft grass, and in the centre
of this a round bed filled with geraniums, calceolarias, and lobelias.
Round the lawn, at the edge of the garden, was a border, in which grew
all manner of gay and sweet-smelling flowers. There were asters and
mignonette, sweet-peas and convolvolus, heliotrope and fuchsias. Then in
front of me was the pretty cottage, with two gables and a red-tiled
roof, the walls of which were covered from top to bottom with creeping
plants. Ivy and jessamine, climbing roses, virginia-creeper, and
canariensis, all helped to make the little place beautiful.
'What a pretty home you have, little Jack!' I said.
He kept tight hold of my hand, lest I should escape from him, and led me
on--into a tiny entrance hall, past one or two doors, down a dark
passage, and into a room at the back.
This room had a small bow-window overlooking the sea, the walls were
covered with bookshelves, a writing-table stood in the window, and in
the corner by the fireplace was the extraordinary object I had been
brought to see--an extremely ancient and antiquated barrel-organ.
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