Every wooded path unfolded treasures of leafy bud,
blossom, and brier, and of beautiful winged things that crept and
rustled among the grasses. There was the ever new surprise of the
first wild-flowers, the abounding mystery of the bird's note and the
brook's song, the daily greeting of bees and butterflies, frogs and
fishes, field-mice and squirrels; so that the universe, which in the
dead past had been dreary and without meaning, suddenly became warm
and friendly, and she, the alien, felt a sense of kinship with all
created things.
Helen had crossed the continent to imbibe the wisdom of the East, and
had brought back stores of knowledge to spend in Lisa's service; but
Rhoda's sacrifice was perhaps the most complete, for Mrs. Grubb
having at first absolutely refused to part with Lisa, Rhoda had flung
herself into the breach and taken the twins to her mother's cottage
in the mountains.
She came up the broad steps, on a certain appointed day in August,
leading her charges into Mistress Mary's presence. They were clean,
well dressed, and somewhat calm in demeanour.
'You may go into the playground,' she said, after the greetings were
over; 'and remember that there are sharp spikes on the high fence by
the pepper-tree.'
'Mary,' she went on impressively, closing the doors and glancing
about the room to see if there were any listeners, 'Mary, those
children have been with me eight weeks, and I do--not--like--them.
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