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settled upon the trees； the siege was pressed hotter； but the draw… bridge
was not lowered。 No further will the language of chivalry serve。 Inside
lived an old gentleman who loved his home and did not wish to sell it。
That is all the romance of the besieged castle。
Three or four times every week came Sammy Brown to Ravenel's
apartment。 He belonged to the poet's club； for the former Browns had been
con… spicuous； though Sammy bad been vulgarized by Business。 He had
no tears for departed Romance。 The song of the ticker was the one that
reached his heart； and when it came to matters equine and batting scores
he was something of a pink edition。 He loved to sit in the leather armchair
by Ravenel's window。 And Ravenel didn't mind particularly。 Sammy
seemed to enjoy his talk； and then the broker's clerk was such a perfect
embodiment of modernity and the day's sordid practicality that Ravenel
rather liked to use him as a scapegoat。
〃I'll tell you what's the matter with you；〃 said Sammy； with the
shrewdness that business had taught him。 〃The magazine has turned down
some of your poetry stunts。 That's why you are sore at it。〃
〃That would be a good guess in Wall Street or in a campaign for the
presidency of a woman's club；〃 said Ravenel； quietly。 〃Now； there is a
poem … if you will allow me to call it that … of my own in this number of
the magazine。〃
〃Read it to me；〃 said Sammy； watching a cloud of pipe…smoke be had
just blown out the window。
Ravenel was no greater than Achilles。 No one is。 There is bound to be
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a spot。 The Somebody…or…Other must take bold of us somewhere when she
dips us in the Something…or…Other that makes us invulnerable。 He read
aloud this verse in the magazine：
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THE FOUR ROSES
'One rose I twined within your hair
（White rose； that spake of worth）；
And one you placed upon your breast
（Red rose； love's seal of birth）。
You plucked another from its stem
（Tea rose； that means for aye）；
And one you gave that bore for me
The thorns of memory。〃
〃That's a crackerjack；〃 said Sammy； admiringly。
There are five more verses；〃 said Ravenel； pa… tiently sardonic。 〃One
naturally pauses at the end of each。 Of course 〃
〃Oh； let's have the rest； old man；〃 shouted Sammy； contritely； 〃 I didn't
mean to cut you off。 I'm not much of a poetry expert； you know。 I never
saw a poem that didn't look like it ought to have terminal facilities at the
end of every verse。 Reel off the rest of it。〃
Ravenel sighed； and laid the magazine down。 〃All right；〃 said Sammy；
cheerfully； 〃we'll have it next time。 I'll be off now。 Got a date at five
o'clock。〃
He took a last look at the shaded green garden and left； whistling in an
off key an untuneful air from a roofless farce comedy。
The next afternoon Ravenel； while polishing a ragged line of a new
sonnet； reclined by the window overlooking the besieged garden of the
unmercenary baron。 Suddenly he sat up； spilling two rhymes and a
syllable or two。；
Through the trees one window of the old mansion could be seen
clearly。 In its window； draped in flow… ing white； leaned the angel of all
his dreams of ro… mance and poesy。 Young； fresh as a drop of dew；
graceful as a spray of clematis； conferring upon the garden hemmed in by
the roaring traffic the air of a princess's bower； beautiful as any flower
sung by poet thus Ravenel saw her for the first time。 She lingered for a
while； and then disappeared within； leaving a few notes of a birdlike ripple
of song to reach his entranced ears through the rattle of cabs and the
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snarling of the electric cars。
Thus； as if to challenge the poet's flaunt at ro… mance and to punish
him for his recreancy to the undying spirit of youth and beauty； this vision
bad dawned upon him with a thrilling and accusive power。 And so
metabolic was the power that in an instant the atoms of Ravenel's entire
world were redistrib… uted。 The laden drays that passed the house in which
she lived rumbled a deep double…bass to the tune of love。 The newsboys'
shouts were the notes of singing birds； that garden was the pleasance of
the Capulets； the janitor was an ogre； himself a knight； ready with sword；
lance or lute。
Thus does romance show herself amid forests of brick and stone when
she gets lost in the city； and there has to be sent out a general alarm to find
her again。
At four in the afternoon Ravenel looked out across the garden。 In the
window of his hopes were set four small vases； each containing a great；
full…blown rose … red and white。 And； as he gazed； she leaned above them；
shaming them with her loveliness and seeming to direct her eyes pensively
toward his own window。 And then； as though she had caught his respectful
but ardent regard； she melted away； leaving the fragrant emblems on the
window…sill。
〃Yes； emblems！ he would be unworthy if be had not understood。 She
had read his poem； 〃The Four Roses〃； it had reached her heart； and this
was its romantic answer。 Of course she must know that Ravenel； the poet；
lived there across her garden。 His picture； too； she must have seen in the
magazines。 The delicate； tender； modest； flattering message could not be
ignored。
Ravenel noticed beside the roses a small flowering… pot containing a
plant。 Without shame be brought his opera…glasses and employed them
from the cover of his window…curtain。 A nutmeg geranium！
With the true poetic instinct be dragged a book of useless information
from his shelves； and tore open the leaves at 〃The Language of Flowers。〃
〃Geranium； Nutmeg … I expect a meeting。〃
So！ Romance never does things by halves。 If she comes back to you
she brings gifts and her knitting； and will sit in your chimney…corner if you
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will let her。
And now Ravenel smiled。 The lover smiles whe