ghter, until it was almost too brilliant to look at; and late in the
afternoon the sun broke out so gloriously that Irene clapped her hands,
crying:

'See, see, Lootie! The sun has had his face washed. Look how bright
he is! Do get my hat, and let us go out for a walk. Oh, dear! oh,
dear! how happy I am!'

Lootie was very glad to please the princess. She got her hat and
cloak, and they set out together for a walk up the mountain; for the
road was so hard and steep that the water could not rest upon it, and
it was always dry enough for walking a few minutes after the rain
ceased. The clouds were rolling away in broken pieces, like great,
overwoolly sheep, whose wool the sun had bleached till it was almost
too white for the eyes to bear. Between them the sky shone with a
deeper and purer blue, because of the rain. The trees on the roadside
were hung all over with drops, which sparkled in the sun like jewels.
The only things that were no brighter for the rain were the brooks that
ran down the mountain; they had changed from the clearness of crystal
to a muddy brown; but what they lost in colour they gained in sound--or
at least in noise, for a brook when it is swollen is not so musical as
before. But Irene was in raptures with the great brown streams
tumbling down everywhere; and Lootie shared in her delight, for she too
had been confined to the house for three days.

At length she observed that the sun was getting low, and said it was
time to be going back. She made the remark again and again, but, every
time, the princess begged her to go on just a little farther and a
little farther; reminding her that it was much easier to go downhill,
and saying that when they did turn they would be at home in a moment.
So on and on they did go, now to look at a group of ferns over whose
tops a stream was pouring in a watery arch, now to pick a shining stone
from a rock by the wayside, now to watch the flight of some bird.
Suddenly the shadow of a great mountain peak came up from behind, and
shot in front of them. When the nurse saw it, she started and shook,
and catching hold of the princess's hand turned and began to run down
the hill.

'What's all the haste, nursie?' asked Irene, running alongside of her.

'We must not be out a moment longer.'

'But we can't help being out a good many moments longer.'

It was too true. The nurse almost cried. They were much too far from
home. It was against express orders to b