than our usual wilfulness when we
fancy things about Nature's moods, that the Mother of men beheld this
scene with half a smile, differently from the simple observation of
those cows whisking the flies from their flanks at the edge of the
shorn meadow and its aspens, seen beneath the curved roof of a broad
oak-branch. Save for this happy upward curve of the branch, we are
encompassed by breathless foliage; even the gloom was hot; the little
insects that are food for fish tried a flight and fell on the water's
surface, as if panting. Here and there, a sullen fish consented to take
them, and a circle spread, telling of past excitement.

I had listened to the vicar's Homeric lowing for the space of a minute
or so--what some one has called, the great beast-like, bellow-like, roar
and roll of the Iliad hexameter: it stopped like a cut cord. One of
the numerous daughters of his house appeared in the arch of white
cluster-roses on the lower garden-terrace, and with an exclamation,
stood petrified at the extraordinary spectacle, and then she laughed
outright. I had hitherto resisted, but the young lady's frank and
boisterous laughter carried me along, and I too let loose a peal, and
discovered myself. The vicar, seeing me, acknowledged a consciousness
of his absurd position with a laugh as loud. As for the scapegrace
girl, she went off into a run of high-pitched shriekings like twenty
woodpeckers, crying: I Mama, mama, you look as if you were in Jordan!'

The vicar cleared his throat admonishingly, for it was apparent that
Miss Alice was giving offence to her mother, and I presume he thought it
was enough for one of the family to have done so.

'Wilt thou come out of Jordan?' I cried.

'I am sufficiently baptized with the water,' said the helpless man...

'Indeed, Mr. Amble,' observed his spouse, 'you can lecture a woman for
not making the best of circumstances; I hope you'll bear in mind that
it's you who are irreverent. I can endure this no longer. You deserve
Mr. Pollingray's ridicule.'

Upon this, I interposed: 'Pray, ma'am, don't imagine that you have
anything but sympathy from me.'--but as I was protesting, having my
mouth open, the terrible Miss Alice dragged the laughter remorselessly
out of me.

They have been trying Frank's new boat, Mr. Pollingray, and they've
upset it. Oh! oh' and again there was the woodpeckers' chorus.

'Alice, I desire you instantly to go and fetch John the gardener,' said
the angry mot