ast. It
was now evident to the ladies that their arrival at this place of
refuge and delight, neighboring so closely the bare mountain-side, was
not so accidental as they had imagined, and they united in thanking
L'Isle for his foresight, and lauding his taste.

Smaller fragments of rock were placed as seats for the ladies, and
though they had not all the conveniences of a well-ordered
dining-room, they only enjoyed themselves the more for the want of
them, while L'Isle busied himself in doing the hospitalities of what
Lady Mabel christened "Fairy Dell." The inducements were strong to
remain here until the heat of the day was past. Mrs. Shortridge had
had her fill of heat and fatigue, in scrambling over the rugged
mountain. Lady Mabel had to place her botanical treasures with their
stems in the water, to revive their already withering bloom and rear
their drooping heads, before she could cull from their unwieldy bulk
the specimens she wished to preserve. So, after their meal, the
servant was sent to order the horses up to the nearest point that
admitted of riding, while the party reposed themselves in the shade
and rested from their labors, luxuriously enjoying the scene, sounds,
and atmosphere around them.

"How did you happen to find this lovely spot?" asked Mrs. Shortridge.

"The truth is, I yesterday morning went over the same ground we have
gone over to-day, and a good deal more," answered L'Isle. "Following
this stream upward, I came to this spot. If you would hunt out the
peculiar beauties of Portugal, you must follow the course of its
rivers and rivulets. True as this is of many countries, it is most
true of this. You may observe, Lady Mabel, that almost all the plants
you have collected, and some flowers you have not met with to-day,
were contained in the collection I brought you yesterday."

"I see that," said Lady Mabel. "But to-day's work is not therefore the
less satisfactory. The title botanist--and I suppose you have found
out that I make some pretensions to that character--is not content
with merely having flowers, leaves, and parts of plants in his _hortus
siccus_, or even abortive specimens in his garden and his hot-house:
he wants to see the whole plant where nature placed it, and study its
character and habits there. Who is satisfied with seeing a Turk in
London? To know him as he is, we look for him in Constantinople, or,
better still, in some province across the Bosphorus, seated on his own
ca