198 More Tales of the Birds 



encouragingly on her back, and Selina, who had 

 dismounted to ease her friend, following the cart 

 slowly, her old black bonnet nodding with each 

 step, and the head inside it bending over till 

 it was almost on a level with her waist. 



One day in the winter I had given Selina a 

 commission it was a mere trifle, but one of 

 those trifles, a packet of tobacco or what not, 

 which one wishes there should be no delay about. 

 At tea-time it had not arrived, and it was past 

 the time when Selina might be expected. I put 

 on my hat and went out to look for her, but no 

 pony and cart was to be seen. Then I set off 

 strolling along the road to Northstow, asking 

 a labourer or two whether they had seen Selina, 

 but nothing was to be heard of her. With half 

 a misgiving in my mind, I determined to go 

 right on till I met her, and I was soon at the 

 top of the hill, and pacing along the stretch of 

 high road that lay along the uplands in the 

 direction of the little town. It grew quite dark, 

 and still no Selina. 



I was within a mile and a half of North- 



