EXPULSION OF THE BOOKS 87 



of a tree tliey had just felled. ' My ! she's got a 

 load, ain't sli«, l^ill ? ' cried the first urchin 

 again. ' Oh, if we had a penny, now ! ' 



I asked him wliat he meant, and very readily 

 and volubly he ex})lained that on payment of a 

 penny the workmen would allow any person to 

 take away as much of the waste wood as he 

 could carry, but without the penny not a chip. 

 T relented at that and gave them a penny, and 

 with a whoop of joy at their success they ran 

 off to where the men Avere working. 



Then I turned to leave the gardens, nodding 

 a good-bye to the young woman, who was still 

 standing there. The shght smile and expression 

 of slight interest, that curious baffling expres- 

 sion with which she regards all our actions, from 

 the smallest to the greatest, came back to her 

 lips and face. But as she returned my glance 

 with her sunny eyes, beliind the sunniness on 

 the surface there was a look of deep meaning, 

 such as I have occasionally seen in them before. 

 It seemed to be saying sorrowful and yet 

 comfortino- thino\s to me, tellino^ me not to oxieve 

 overmuch at these hackings and mutilations of 

 the sweet places of the earth — at these losses to 

 be made good. It was as if she had shown me a 



