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"The pace? No, Mr Siward"

"Are you a trifle--bored?" She considered him in silence, then leaned back luxuriously, rounded arms raised, wrists crossed to pillow her head

"This is charly new to me," she said simply

"What? Not the open?"

"No; I have cauides apiece and the chane inadequately chilled I have endured that sort of hardship several times, Mr Siward … What is that furry hunch up there in that tall thin tree?"

"A raccoon," he said presently "Can you see the foxy head peeping so slyly down at us? Look at Saga the air in that droll blindfurry up aloft somewhere; and he knows it's none of his business"

They watched the motionless ball of fur in the crotch of a slied tail unfolded; the rounded furry back hue of an enor leafy depths

In the silence the birds began to reappear A jay screa woods; black-capped chickadees dropped fro, bright head pillowed in her ar comment on beast and bird and tree, on forest stillness and forest sounds, on life and the wild laws of life and death governing the great out-world 'twixt sky and earth Sunlight and shadows , speech and silence, waxed and waned A listless content the heavy white lids The blue of her eyes was very dark now--almost purple like the colour of the sea when the wind-flaws turn the blue to violet

"Did you ever hear of the 'Lesser Children'?" she asked "Listen then: "'Multitudes, multitudes, under the moon they stirred! The weakerbrothers of our earthly breed; All came about my head and at my feet A thousand thousand sweet, With starry eyes not even raised to plead: Bewildered, driven, hiding, fluttering, mute! And I beheld and saw theht'

"Do you knohat itthat fro

"'Who has not seen in the high gulf of light What, loas a bird!'"

She ceased, and, raising her eyes to his: "Do you know that plea for mercy on the lesser children who die all day to-day because the season opens for your pleasure, Mr Siward?"

"Is it a woodland sermon?" he inquired, too politely