164 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



avoiding all the time the one subject uppermost in 

 her mind — the very one I was waiting for her to come 

 to. And in the end she had to come to it, and after 

 putting her hand up to hide the tears that could not 

 be kept back, she was relieved, and began to speak 

 freely of the lost child. Violet was her name, and 

 everyone who knew her said that no fitter name could 

 have been given her, she was so beautiful, so like a 

 flower, with eyes that were like violets. And she had 

 the greatest love of flowers for a small child. Nobody 

 had seen anything like it. Dolls and toys she didn't 

 care for — she was all for flowers. As for sense, she 

 had as much of it as any grown-up person when she 

 was no more than five. She was a most loving little 

 thing, but cared most for her father, and every 

 evening when he came home she would fly to meet 

 him, and would sit on his knee till bedtime. What 

 talks those two had! Now the most curious thing 

 remains to tell, and this was about both the children 

 — the way in which they would spend most of their 

 time. At that distance from the village the boy was 

 allowed, after a good deal of bother about it, to learn 

 his letters at home. If the weather was fine, those 

 two would be up and have breakfast very early, 

 then, taking their dinner in a little basket, would go 

 to the heath, and she would see no more of them till 

 about five o'clock in the afternoon. The boy was 

 always fondest of birds and animals, like his father, 

 and was happy following and watching them all day 

 long. The girl loved the flowers best, and whenever 

 she found a flower that was rare or whollv new to her 



