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On our modest pergola there still clung a few ruby-coloured grapes, though the leaves were scattered, and in the beds about our verandah blue cornflowers and yellow nasturtiums enamelled the untidy carpet of coarse grasses that were trying to choke them. Not far away, down by the Episcopal Church, men were playing tennis in flannels on the courts of yellow, hard-packed sand.

Could a man own anything prettier than this dining-table with its deep tints, the starry, soft-petalled roses, the ruby-coloured glass, and quaint silver furnishing; could a man own anything prettier than the woman who sat at it?

Then a low roaring noise, and all the windows of the basement shone out ruby-coloured, and the moon looked bleared by contrast. A distant voice from the village called out 'Fire! There was a crash of opening windows, a tumult of clapping doors, a storm of barking dogs, excited voices, hurrying feet.

Martin ran to it, full of keen distress, but was powerless to help; its life's blood was fast running away from the shot wounds it had received in its side, staining the grass with crimson. Presently it closed its beautiful ruby-coloured eyes and the quivering wings grew still.

In an instant, I was on my feet, my nose pressed against one of the narrow windows of ruby-coloured glass that were on either side of the hall door. I could see three small red figures in animated conversation on the square grass plot before the house. The largest of the three began to execute a masterly hop, skip and jump on the crimson grass. Above arched the sanguine sky.

It was draped by a single ruby-coloured velvet curtain that was so artistically caught by rope-like cords of silk that, by a draw, could be lifted upward and to either side in luxurious folds, exposing the entire window. At present the great saloon was lighted by seven immense lustres of fifty candles each, and with twenty sconces each bearing fifteen candles.

Walking slowly among them, admiring the beautiful scenery and enjoying the cool shade, I arrived, almost imperceptibly and without fatigue, at the summit, where I found a small lake, surrounded with ruby-coloured, variegated rocks, and partly covered with bright lotuses. In this I bathed, and pulled up some of the lotus-plants, the young shoots of which were unusually sweet and good.

Then he pointed to the third and repeated the following verses, after kissing him half a score times: All in a silver cup he melted gold full fine, A youth whose hands were dyed in ruby-coloured wine, And with the skinkers went and handed round one cup Of wine, whilst other two were proffered by his eyne.

Among the girls some wonderful dressing is to be seen ruby-coloured robes, and rich greys and browns and purples, confined with exquisite obi, or girdles of figured satin; but the best taste is shown in the simple and very graceful black and white costumes worn by some maidens of the better classes dresses especially made for dancing, and not to be worn at any other time.

I drove the spider away two or three times, but for the next twenty-four hours I always found it again sucking at the same place. The spider became much distended by the juices of its prey, which was many times larger than itself. I may here just mention, that I found, near St. Fe Bajada, many large black spiders, with ruby-coloured marks on their backs, having gregarious habits.