Leaving her to prepare it, with a laughing twinkle in his eye the minister led Diana out of that room and along a short passage to another door. The passage was very narrow, the ceiling was low, the walls whitewashed, the wainscotting blue; and yet the room which they entered, though sharing in all the items of this description, was homely and comfortable. It was furnished in a way that made it seem elegant to Diana. A warm-coloured dark carpet on the floor, two or three easy-chairs, a wide lounge covered with chintz, and chintz curtains at the windows. On the walls here and there single shelves of dark wood put up for books, and filled with them; a pretty lamp on the little leaf table, and a wide fireplace with bright brass andirons. The windows looked out upon the wooded mountain-side. Diana uttered an exclamation of surprise and admiration. "This is your room, Di," said the minister. "The kitchen has the view: I did think of changing about and making the kitchen here: but the other room has so long been used in that way, I was afraid it would be a bad exchange. However, we will do it yet, if you like." "Change? why, this room is beautiful!" cried Diana. "Looks out into the hill." "O, I like that." "Don't make it a principle to like everything I do," said he, smiling. "But I _do_ like it, Basil; I like it better than the other side," said Diana. "I just love the trees and the rocks. And you can hear the birds sing. And the room is most beautiful." Mr. Masters had opened the windows, and there came in a spicy breath from the woods, together with the wild warble of a wood-thrush. It was so wild and sweet, they both were still to listen. The notes almost broke Diana's heart, but she would not show that. "What do you think that bird is saying?" she asked. "I don't know what it may be to _his_ mind; I know what it to mine. Pray, what does it say to yours?" "It is too plaintive for the bird to know what it means," said Diana. "Probably. I have no doubt the ancients were right when they felt certain animals to be types of good and others of evil. I think it is true, in detail and variety. I have the same feeling. And in like manner, carrying out the principle, I hear one bird say one thing and another another, in their countless varieties of song." "Did the ancients think that?" "Don't you remember the distinction between clean beasts and unclean?" "I thought that was ordered." "It was ordered to be observed. The distinction was felt before." They were again silent a moment, while the thrush's song filled the air with liquid rejoicing. "That bird," said Diana slowly, "sings as if he had got somewhere above all the sins and troubles and fights of life; I mean, as if he were a human being who had got there." "That will do," said the minister. "But that's impossible; so why should he sing it?" "Take it the other way," said the minister, smiling.