146 NATURE IN DOWNLAND 



black, but showing chestnut brown where the wind 

 had fluffed it about her face. Perhaps her mouth, 

 with its delicately moulded lips, was her finest feature ; 

 and it was very pretty, as she came up to where I 

 stood waiting for her, to see her small, even sharp pearly 

 teeth cut into the polished green apple. But though 

 she was so lovely to look at, if I had allowed her to pass 

 by without speaking the probability is that her image 

 would have soon faded out of memory. We see and 

 straightway forget many a pretty face. But when I 

 spoke to her and she answered in a musical voice of 

 so beautiful a quality, that was like a blackbird's voice 

 and a willow wren's, yet better than either, the rare 

 sweet sound registered itself in my brain, and with it 

 the face, too, became unforgettable. When she had 

 given me her answer I thought of other things to ask 

 the name of the next village (which I knew) and 

 the next, and the distance to each, with many other 

 unnecessary inquiries, and still every time she spoke it 

 was more to me than a "melody sweetly played in 

 tune ; " and it was at last with the greatest reluctance 

 that I was compelled to thank her and let her go. 



As to the singing of the Sussex peasants, I must 

 confess that it has amused rather than delighted me, 

 but at the same time it is interesting. You can best 

 hear it in the village ale-house or inn in the evening, 

 especially on a Saturday, when a pleasant break in the 

 week has come with rest from toil, and money has 

 been paid for wages, and life has a more smiling aspect 



