an a bright,
clear stream, in which grew hosts of water-lilies, and other aquatic
plants. Beyond this were soft, green, close-shaven lawns and
shrubberies, and gardens full of fountains and statues and fairy-like
bowers; the stables, full of beautiful horses and ponies; the kennels,
where a pack of noble stag-hounds was kept; the dairy, the
poultry-yard, and the pretty little houses of the gold and silver
pheasants. Around all was a great wooded park, filled with fleet
spotted deer.

In this park Bertha often walked with her mother, or was whirled along
in a small open phaeton, drawn by two lovely white ponies, which Lady
Blantyre herself drove.

In the wildest and most remote part of the park lived the gamekeeper,
who, with his wife, had been born and bred on the estate, and from
childhood had been in the service of the noble family. Lady Blantyre
never passed the cottage of Robert MacWillie in her drives without
stopping to inquire after the health of his wife, who had once been her
maid, and of their fine brood of little ones. During these visits
Bertha became acquainted with the young foresters, and as she was of a
simple and amiable disposition, and not a bit haughty or conceited, she
liked them all heartily. But she especially took to a little girl
about her own age, named Lilly, and a boy a year or two older, called
Hughie.

One day as Lady Blantyre and Bertha were driving along the shore of a
miniature loch or pond, near Robert MacWillie's cottage, they saw
Hughie and Lilly playing in a burn, or brook, which emptied into the
little loch. Hughie was constructing a dam, with stones and turf and
heather-branches cemented with clay, and Lilly was sailing a tiny boat,
loaded with pebbles and flowers. Both were barefoot, and plashing
fearlessly in the burn. Lady Blantyre checked her ponies, and after
watching the children awhile, called them to the side of her phaeton.
Hughie took off his Glengary cap, and held it in his hand, and Lilly
was about to pull from her head a wild-looking wreath of daisies and
purple heather-blooms, when Bertha exclaimed, "Don't take it off! it is
so pretty; who made it?"

"Brother Hughie," answered Lilly, blushing.

"How good he must be! Do you like playing and wading in the water and
picking wild-flowers?"

"Yes," said Lilly, looking down, and drawing figures in the sand with
her rosy little toes. "Hughie is gude. I like playing wi' the burn,
and flowers are bonny wee