Hildegarde's Home

with The Poplars. He, too, had been won by Mrs. Grahame's smile, and had learned the way to Braeside; and

t, every-day people. When he had been walking with Mrs. Grahame, as he was fond of doing (sneaking out by the back gate from his prison-place, as he called it, and making a détour to reach the road where she most often wal

ild went dreaming along between the high box hedges, stopping occasionally to look about him and to exchange confidences with his dog. Merlin seemed to feel the influence of the place, and went along quietly, with bent head and drooping tail. When the m

rk, clear water, which moved so swiftly yet so silently, with only a fain

ng Hugh and Merl

by the hand, and kisses him, and pulls him down? Do you think that, Merlin?" But Merlin sneezed, and shook his head, and evidently thought nothing of the kind. "Th

s Purple Maid, all bright and shining, standing among the green trees, and smiling at him. The child's face flushed with such vivid light that the p

s your voice or the brook, talking." The boy and dog made room for her between them, and sh

nd there, angelic, in the green, 'Blessed heart of wom

singly on the red-gold hair. "I do like the sound of it. An

ace of dead people," he said.

and loved it. They used to sit here, Hugh, and wander up and down the green paths, and fill t

e moon, clear as the

ind those sweet

terrible as an army with banners.' And 'thy neck is

soft cashmere; only Hester was blithe and gay, and she died, Hugh, when she was

. "Why do you be sad?" he said. "Don't yo

arde. "Tell me what you

h sweet and pleasant flowers as nowhere else are seen.' And more coloured words. Don't you love colo

uses are

ows crys

are laid wit

gels do

, so badly! because those people are devils, and I would rather die; but now I have you, Purple Maid, and your mother is like balm dropping in

it, dear?" sh

charity, he said; but mamma said I was to go to Aunt Martha, so that makes me fe

e, yet dreading to rouse the boy's scriptural eloqu

om here, but I don't know where; and Uncle Loftus won't tell me, or le

to you?" Hildegarde ask

ave folks saying that his aunt was housekeeper to a stuck-up old bear, just because she was a fool and had

Could it be possible that-Jack had told her about dear, good Mrs. Beadle, who had been nurse to his father and uncle, and who was so devoted to them all, and such a superior woman. She h

or some time silent, with the soft falling of the water in their ears, and al

"Purple Maid" as names for Hildegarde, wholly ignoring her ow

said Hildegarde, looking at the boy, whose w

oating through the air at night. I hear him, al

ll me a little

know. Then I get up and look out, for it is so like heaven, on

es it so

again, like 'blow up the trumpet in the new moon,' and goes up, up, up, oh, so high! Do you think that is when

lovely music if it was not really made by an angel? if it was a person lik

ed. "Was it you?" he sai

st beautifully, Hugh. He practises every night, up in the garret at

ugh, bursting into merry laughte

ate success. "My cousin is tall," she said

lly the angel. But he does look like one. Must we go?" he aske

his way because I wanted you to see the Ladies' Garden. Now we must go acr

, thick-set with ferns and dusky hemlock-trees. Then came the wall, and then the sudden break into t

" he asked. "You have nev

eside him with long, graceful leaps. They breasted the long, low hill, then swept round in a wide circle, and came rushing past Hildegarde, breathless and radiant. This was more

!" crie

!" echoed the

anted Merlin,

's long hair had come down, and was flying in the wind; her two companions were frantic with delight, and bobbed and leaped, shouting, b

a girl who knows how to run. Look at that action!

er does the

mooth lake'

op, and let me see what

forward, as if he were catapult and missile in one, he got over the ground with great rapidity, and caught his

w-where did you come from? You mus

s, she caught sight of Colonel Ferre

s to her forehead, bathing her in a fiery tide. "Oh!

Nothing of the kind!" he repeated. "He is delighted, on the contrary, to see a young creature who can make the free movements of nature with