why?"
"Why, to give me the chance to be so good to him, you know, because heis so good to me."
"Well, now," Captain Lyle said, "let us come to the point. I don'tadmire the prospect of crutches, hook arm, and a wooden leg, and I hopeyou're not a true prophet, but you've got some new scheme in yournoddle, and you've come to ask a favour. Anything in reason, Leonie.Sit down, lad."
Then the boy took a seat and unfolded his plans, and coaxed, and teased,and what not, till he had gained his father's consent, and then off backto Castle Beautiful he went. As he scrambled over the fence Effie knewhe had succeeded, because he was singing, and because he had nottroubled to open the gate.
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Spring returned. The snow left the woods and the fields; it lingeredlong in the ditches and by the wayside, and made one last sturdy standon the hill-tops, but was forced to fly from even there at last. Thenthe honeysuckle on the hedgerows unfolded its leaves, the blackthornitself began to bud, and the larch woods grew green. The dormouse andhedgehog, who had slept through all the wild weather, rolled in leavesat the tree foot, showed their pinched and weary wee faces at theirholes, wondering if there was anything yet to eat. The squirrel hadeaten his very last nut, and stretched himself on a bough to enjoy theglorious sunshine.
The rook and the mavis, the blackbird and hedge-sparrow had built theirnests, and laid their eggs ever so long ago, only the chaffinch and thegreen linnet were waiting for still warmer weather, and the lark wantedthe grass or corn to be just a little higher, while the rose-linnetssang for more leaves to hide their nests from prying eyes.
But the brooklets, bright and clear now, went singing along over theirpebbly beds, the river rolled softly on, and the silver sallows andweeping willows bent low over the water, and westerly winds wereblowing, and sunshine was everywhere.
Leonard's waggon or caravan was built and ready. It was the lightestthing and the neatest thing ever seen in the shape of a one-horseconveyance, that horse, be it remembered, being a donkey. The littlehouse-upon-wheels had not two but four small wheels, and instead ofbeing built of wood its sides and roof were canvas.
It was a gipsy cart of the neatest description, and Effie as well asLeonard was delighted with it, and as for Don, the donkey, so proud washe when put into the shafts that he wanted to gallop away with it,instead of walking at that slow and solemn pace which respectablethinking donkeys usually affect. But Don was no common ass, I canassure you. He was not called Don as short for donkey. No, but becausehe had been brought from Spain by Captain Lyle, and there, I may tellyou, they have the very best donkeys in the world. Don was very strongand sturdy, and very wise in his day and generation; his colour wassilver-grey, with a great brown cross on his shoulders and back, whilehis ears must have been fully half a yard long. Need I say he waswell-kept and cared for, or that he dearly loved his little master andmistress, and was, upon the whole, as quiet and docile as a great sheep?
Well, even while the spring lasted, Leonard and Effie had many a longdelightful ramble in their little caravan, and were soon as well knownall over the country for miles around as the letter-carrier himself, andthat is saying a good deal.
But in the bonnie month of May Captain Lyle, and Mrs Lyle as well, hadto make a long, long journey south. In fact, they were going all theway to London, and in those days this was not only a slow journey but adangerous one as well, for many parts of the road were infested byfoot-pads, who cared not whom they killed so long as they succeeded ingetting their money and their valuables.
Farewells were spoken with many tears and caresses, and away went theparents at last, and Leonard and Effie were left alone.
When they had fairly gone, poor Effie began to cry again.
"Oh, Leonie!" she said, "the house seems so lonely now, so cold andstill, with only the ticking of the dreadful clocks."
But Leonard answered, and said,--"Why, Effie dear, haven't you me? Andam I not big enough to protect you? Come along out and see theMenagerie."
It was not half so lonesome here, at least, so they thought. They werehigh above the woods, and the sun shone very brightly, and all theircurious pets seemed doubly amusing to-day, so before long both werelaughing as merrily as if they were not orphans for the time being.
Three days passed away, and on the morning of the fourth, when, afterbreakfast, old Peter the butler came shuffling in, Leonard said,--
"Now, Peter, of course you are aware that I am now master of the houseof Glen Lyle?"
Peter bowed and bowed and bowed, but I think he was laughing quietly tohimself.
"Very well, Peter; straighten yourself up, please, and listen. MissLyle here--"
"That's me," said Effie, in proud defiance of grammar.
"And myself," continued Leonard, "are going away for a week in ourcaravan in search of--ahem! the picturesque."
"Preserve us a'!" cried Peter, turning his eyes heavenwards. "What'llyour parents say if I allow it?"
"We will write to them, Peter. Don't you worry. We start to-morrow.You will look after the Menagerie till we return. And we will want yourassistance to-day to help us to pack."
"Will naething prevail upo' ye to stop at hame?" cried Peter, wringinghis hands.
"Nothing. I'm master, don't forget that." This from Leonard.
"And I'm mistress," said Effie.
So poor Peter had to give in.
They spent a very busy afternoon, but next morning the caravan wasbrought to the door, the brass work on Don's new harness being polishedtill it looked like gold. Effie sprang lightly in, Ossian, the bigdeerhound, who stood nearly as high as Don, went capering about, for hewas to be one of the party.
Up jumped Leonard. Crack went his whip, and off they all were in ahand-clap.
And poor old Peter fell on his knees and prayed for their safety, tillon a turn of the road the woods seemed to swallow them up.
"Now we're free! It's glorious, isn't it, Effie?"
"It's delightful."
"Aren't you glad you've come?"
"Yes, aren't you?"
"Yes. Which way shall we go?"
"Oh, away and away and away, through the forests and fens, through thewoods and the wilds, on and on and on."
"I say," said Leonard, after a pause, "it would be a good thing to giveDon quite a deal of his own way, and if he wants particularly to goalong any road, just to let him go."
"O yes, that will be such fun. I'm so happy, hungry. I feel it comingon now."
"Well, by-and-bye we'll dine. Agnes made such a splendid pie; it willlast us quite two days."
At noon they found themselves in a dark pine wood, the bare stems of thetrees looking like the pillars supporting the roof of some majesticcavern. Here they stopped and unlimbered, because there was a littlestream where Don and the deerhound could drink, besides nice, long,green grass for the donkey.
They had a portion of the pie for dinner, and it was more delicious,they thought, than anything they had ever eaten. So thought Ossian.But of course hunger is sweet sauce.
Then they tied Don to the wheel of the cart, and hand in hand went offto cull wild flowers. They gathered quite a garland, and put this roundDon's neck on their return, then turned him loose again to eat for anhour, while Leonard took a volume from a little book-shelf, and read toEffie a few chapters of a beautiful tale.
But the sun began to decline in the west, so they now put Don to, andoff they went once more.
They came to cross roads soon, and as Don evinced a desire to turn tothe right, they allowed him to do so.
IN THE DEEP DARK FOREST.
The sun sank, and set at last, and they hurried on more quickly now, forthough they intended to sleep in the caravan, still they wanted to benear a house. But gloaming fell, and the wood grew deeper and darker,so at last Leonard, telling his sister not to be frightened, drew in offthe road, so that the caravan was closely hidden among spruce trees.
The
re was light enough, and no more, to gather grass for Don, who wastied fast to the branch of a tree. Ossian was fastened to the axle sothat he might keep guard over all, and Leonard and Effie prepared forbed, determined to get up as soon as it was sunrise.
This being their first night out, and the place being so lonesome anddrear, they were afraid to have a light, lest it might attractevil-disposed persons to the caravan, although it was all forest landaround them.
They were sitting quietly talking over the events of the day, whensuddenly the voices of people chanting a hymn fell on their ears, andmade them quake with dread.
"Who can it be?" whispered Effie, clinging to her brother.
"They cannot be bad people," he said boldly, "singing a hymn; bad peopledo not sing hymns. I will go and see.