To be out of doors at this season, in this romantic and beautiful sea-laved land, was heaven itself, a happy, hopeful time that Frank Antony, with his big poetic heart, could have wished would last for aye. It was better far, he thought, than the red rush of summer, with its floral glory that would end so soon in autumn brown and sear. But some hearts are built to love spring and only spring. They want to have the buds and flowers always springing, and birds singing their first and therefore their real songs of happiness and love. Lotty would be thirteen this year. 'Dear me,' she said looking additionally wise for a moment, 'what a long, long life!' Poor little gipsy lass, that long, long life had not been wanting in sorrow! And it was probably for this reason that it seemed to her so long. They were bird-nesting among the yellow gorse that scented all the air around them and hugged the moorland in great golden patches; and it was here the rose-linnet had its cosy nest and sang so sweetly to its little brown mate so quiet on her speckled eggs. Both Antony and she loved to see birds' nests, but it is needless to say they touched them not. 'I'll soon be old, Mr Blake!' Her companion laughed; and Wallace, fancying he saw the joke, gave Lotty's ear a friendly lick in passing. 'Soon be as old as Crona, won't you, dear?' said Antony. 'Oh, I don't know how long it takes to be as old as Crona, though somehow I never think that my fairy godmother is aged.' 'You are a happy girl to have so good a godmother.' 'Oh yes, and I feel cold sometimes to think how miserable I would be if there were no Crona. I have Chops--Chops comes next after Wallace; and then Mary, and then Bruin, and then Skeleton.' 'You put Bruin before Skeleton?' 'Yes, Bruin before Skeleton; because I've seen more of him, you know--more of Bruin than even Wallace, though Wallace is wiser. But, Mr Blake, I can remember a time when there was no Wallace, and then it was always either Chops or Bruin who came with me when I went to visit Crona. But I was never afraid of ugly men when Bruin was with me.' 'I should think not indeed.' 'And once, I mind, it came on too quickly dark in the forest--that was before Chops had blazed the trees--and I lost myself. The bear and I soon grew tired and lay down to rest. I would have been very cold if Bruin hadn't been so warm, so I soon fell sound asleep.' 'A very pretty pair of babes in the wood you must have looked!' 'It was very early when I awoke, but quite light, and I was so dreadfully afraid now, because Bruin was sitting and roaring loud and angry. Will Wisely the poacher was standing there not far off, and shaking with fear so that he could hardly speak. '"Oh Will," I cried, "get up into a tree for fear Bruin kills you and eats you."