. If you
really find life steal away as easily as you now fancy, depend upon it
you are more of a philosopher than you are aware of."

"What is philosophy?" asked Matilda of Sydney in a loud whisper, which
the boy was not in any hurry to take notice of, so little was there in
the conversation which seemed to bear upon phosphorus and electricity.

"A good question," observed Mr Enderby. "Hope, will you tell us
children what we are talking about,--what philosophy is all this while?"

"You gave us a few meanings just now, which I should put into one. Call
it enlargement of views, and you have wisdom, and the love of wisdom,
and patience, all at once: ay, Sydney, and your kind of philosophy
too:--It was by looking far and deep into nature that men found
electricity."

"Did Dr Levitt find it out?" asked Matilda: "he is so very
short-sighted! I don't believe he would see those fish snapping up the
flies, if he sat where I do. What was that that fell on my bonnet? Is
it raining?"

Sydney, tired of fishing, had climbed into the oak, and was sending down
twigs and leaves upon the heads of the party. Sophia desired him to
come down, and even assured him that if he did not, she should be angry.
He replied, that he would only stay to see whether she would be angry
or not. The experiment was cut short by the whole party rising, and
moving homewards. The sun was setting, and the picked cowslips must not
have any dew upon them.

As the group passed up the street, Sydney in advance, with his rod and
basket, on Mr Hope's horse, Mr Hope himself following with Hester, and
the tall Mr Enderby, with Sophia and Margaret on either arm, all, like
the little girls, laden with cowslips, the gossips of Deerbrook were
satisfied that the stranger ladies must have enjoyed their walk in the
meadows.

CHAPTER SIX.

THE SCHOOL-ROOM.

Mrs Rowland was mortified that the Greys had been beforehand with her
in the idea of a cowslip-gathering. From the moment of Matilda's asking
leave to accompany them, she resolved to have such an expedition from
her house as her neighbours should not be able to eclipse. Like Lear,
she did not yet know what her deed was to be; but it should be the
wonder and terror of the place: she would do such things as should
strike the strangers with admiration. When she heard an account of it
from her little daughter, she found this had been a very poor
beginning,--a mere walk in the meadows, and home again