' She passed her little hand into the arm of his rough coat, and led
him towards the house. 'You know nothing of your own house, so before I go
I intend to show you all over it. You have no idea what a funny old place
it is up-stairs--endless old lumber-rooms which you would never think of
going into if I didn't take you. When I was a little girl I wasn't often
allowed down-stairs: the top of the house still seems to me more real than
any other part.' Throwing open a door at the head of the stairs, she said:
'This used to be my nursery. It is all bare and deserted now, but I
remember it quite different. I used to spend hours looking out of that
window. From it you can see all over the park, and the park used to be my
great delight. I used to sit there and make resolutions that next time I
went out I would be braver, and explore the hollows full of bushes and tall
ferns.'
'Did you never break your resolutions?'
'Sometimes. I was afraid of meeting fairies or elves. There are glades and
hollows that used to seem very wonderful. And they still seem very
wonderful, only not quite in the same way. Doesn't the world seem very
wonderful to you? I'm always wondering at things. But I know I'm only a
silly little girl, and yet I like to talk to you about my fancies.
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