Presently they came to half-a-dozen steps in an angle, which led over the outer wall. They had slipped under a mysterious archway of leaves and so through the beech hedge in order to reach this ladder of stone. "Good-bye!" said Miss Briggs; "remember—come back, nice little boy, as soon as you are growed up, and I will marry you. And then we will send Aunt Robina to the poorhouse. Kiss me, nice boy—and now kiss Peter." With that Miss Briggs disappeared, running as hard as ever she could, so that she would not need to cry within sight. But as soon as she got to the great circle of the beeches and yews, she burst out sobbing. "He was the very nicest boy—the nicest boy. But of course there could be nothing in it. For he is only a mere child, you know!" But Boy Hugh walked stolidly up the steps, and so out of Paradise. "I am very hungry!" he said. ADVENTURE XXXIX. THE ADVENTURE OF SNAP'S PORRIDGE. But he found Providence just over the wall. For there sat Vara and there was the great stone behind which they had spent the night. All his wanderings had just brought him back to where he had started from. But for all that he was exceedingly glad to see Vara. He called her, standing still on the top of the wall. She started up as if she had heard a voice from the grave. And the face which she turned to him was colourless like chalk. "Wi' Vara," said Hugh, "what's wrang? Your face looks terrible clean?" "O, Boy Hugh—Boy Hugh," she cried, bursting into relieving tears, "it's you. What a night you have given me!" But not a word of reproach came from the lips of Vara Kavannah. She had, indeed, enough to do to keep the babe quiet. For having run hither and thither over the moor looking for her brother, she had not had time to seek for any farmhouse where she could get some milk for Gavin's bottle. In a little, however, they were again walking hand in hand, and Boy Hugh was pouring out all the story of his adventures in the Paradise of the House of Rascarrel. Chiefly he dwelt upon the divine beauty and abounding merits of Miss Briggs. "Dinna you think she was an angel frae heeven?" said Boy Hugh. "I think she was a nasty, wicked, enticing little monkey!" burst out Vara. For though it is part of womanhood's privilege to put up with the truantry of mankind without complaint, it is too much to expect her to suffer gladly his praises of the Canaanitish women he may have collogued with upon his travels. And then Vara walked a long way silent and with her head in the air. Hugh Boy kicked all the stones out of his path and was silent also. Nevertheless, though in this sulky silence, they travelled steadily on and on. Horizon after horizon broke up, spread out to either side, streamed dispersedly past them, and recomposed itself again solidly behind them. "I'm awesome hungry!" at last said Boy Hugh, humbly. Vara became full of compassion in a minute. "And Vara has nothing to give ye!" she said; "poor Boy Hugh!" The baby woke with a faint cry.