the Wampanoge village, and had
neglected to secure it on his return. It had been the desire of his
parents that he should not go into the forest which bordered their
grounds, except in the company of his father or some of his friends;
but the apparent departure of the Nausetts had caused this injunction
to be neglected of late, and he, and even his younger brother and
sister, had frequently strayed, unmolested, a short distance into the
wood, in search of flowers and fruits; and even Helen had ceased to
feel alarm.

'Edith,' said Henrich, on the evening of which we are speaking; 'I
think my father will return tonight, or tomorrow at the farthest; and I
must complete my task before he arrives. Your bower still requires a
few plants to adorn the entrance, and the seats of moss are scarcely
finished. Let us go into the wood, and procure what we want before the
sun sets, and our mother comes out to see what progress we have made.'

'No, Henrich,' replied his sister; 'do not go this evening. I know not
why, but the wood looks dark and gloomy; there is no sunlight on the
path, and the shadows are so deep, that I could fancy every low bush
was a crouching Indian. I cannot go into the wood tonight.'

'You are timid, dear Edith. You never feared to go with me before; and
why should you fear this evening? See, the sun is still high in the
horizon, and the darkness is all in your own fancy. Come and see that
lovely creeper I told you of; and when you have admired it hanging from
the decayed trunk of the old tree that supports it, you shall help me
to remove it to your bower, where it will be the fairest flower that
grows, except the little fairy queen herself.'

Henrich caught his sister's hand, and kissing her playfully, attempted
to draw her from the bower. But she looked sad and anxious, and
replied--

'O, Henrich! do not ask me; my bower is fair enough, and I would not go
as far as that old tree tonight, for all the flowers that grow in the
forest. Stay with me, Henrich, dear. Our mother will join us soon, and
she will be alarmed if you are not here.'

The boy looked at his sister's pensive face with an affectionate smile:
but he was not to be diverted from his scheme.

'Stay here, then, Edith,' he replied; 'and tell my mother that I shall
return in little more than ten minutes. Come, Ludovico,' he added,
calling his little brother, who was always ready to follow where
Henrich led. 'Come, Ludovico, you are not afraid