"I'm nobody, of course. It ain't my garden. Better make him head at
once."
"Beautiful! Lovely!" cried Mrs Mostyn, as she stood in front of the
lovely bank of blossoms; "and capitally arranged, John Grange. Why, it
is quite a flower show."
That evening the guest arrived to dinner in the person of a great
physician, whose sole relaxation was his garden; and directly after
breakfast the next morning, full of triumph about the perfection of her
orchids, Mrs Mostyn led the way into the conservatory, just as John
Grange hurried out at the garden entrance, as if to avoid being seen.
"A minute too late," said the doctor, smiling; "but I thought you said
that the man who attends to this place was quite blind?"
"He is! That is the man, but no one would think it. Now you shall see
what a lovely stand of orchids he has arranged by touch. It is really
wonderful what a blind man can do."
"Yes, it is wonderful, sometimes," replied the visitor. "I have noticed
many cases where Nature seems to supply these afflicted people with
another sense, and--"
"Oh, dear me! Oh, you tiresome, stupid man! My poor flowers! I
wouldn't for a hundred pounds have had this happen, and just too when I
wanted it all as a surprise for you. That's why he hurried out."
"Ah, dear me!" said the great physician, raising his glasses to his eye.
"Such lovely specimens, too. Poor fellow! He must have slipped. A
sad accident due to his blindness, of course, while watering, I
presume."
For there, on the red-tiled floor of the conservatory, lay an overturned
watering-can, whose contents had formed a muddy puddle, in which were
about a dozen broken pots just as they had been knocked down from the
stand, the bulbs snapped, beautiful trusses of blossom shivered and
crushed, and the whole display ruined by the gap made in its midst.
The tears of vexation stood in Mrs Mostyn's eyes, but she turned very
calm directly as she walked back into the drawing-room and rang, looking
white now with anger and annoyance.
"Send John Grange to the conservatory directly," she said to the butler,
and then walked back with her guest.
Five minutes later John Grange came in from the garden, and the great
physician watched him keenly, as the young man's eye looked full of
trouble and his face twitched a little as he went towards where he
believed his mistress to be.
"What is the meaning of this horrible destruction, Grange?" she cried.
"I don't know, ma'am," he replied excitedly. "I came in and found the
pots all down only a few moments ago."
"That will do," she said sternly, and she turned away with her guest.
"Even he cannot speak the truth, doctor. Oh, what cowards some men can
be!"