“That is the great curiosity,” answered Kate. “Someone cut them in the bark with his knife when the tree was young, two hundred years ago. The tree has grown big since then, and has healed up its wounds, but still bears the scars; and it has drawn its bark round it, and for years upon years has hidden what was written from the eyes of man. Only now that the dear old oak is hewn down, and the bark stripped away, is the writing revealed which was cut on it two hundred years ago.” “What are the words?” “Listen’I have spelled them out. ’O Tree defying Time Witness bear That two loving Hearts 1643 Did meet here.‘ [Illustration: hearts] Is not this wonderful? The tree was trusted, and it has fulfilled its trust, and would have done so till it died. Two hundred years ago, two young lovers met here, and the youth cut this on the bark. Two hundred years after, it gives up its witness. If it had not been cut down, two hundred years hence it would have done the same.” Rose looked at Jan, and took his hand and sighed. “Jan, let us sit down on this tree. This touches me; does it not you, Jan?” “What’your hand?” “No, silly; I mean this about the lovers.” Then Kate began to sing’ “‘All in the wood there grew a fine tree, The finest tree that ever you did see, And the green leaves flourished around.’” Then Kate said, clapping her hands’ “Is there not a great deal in that song of the tree in the wood? I suppose in paradise that Adam stood by the tree of life and felt happy when he held Eve by the hand and looked into her eyes. If he could have written, he would have cut these same words in the bark of the tree of life. And years went by, and it was always and ever the same story: the young grew old, and then others came in their places, and loving hearts met, and again and again in an endless whirl, and an ever-returning tide, and a perpetual circling of the stars in heaven, and the new flowers coming after the old have died’‘As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be.’” Then Jan started up, drew his hand from Rose, and said’ “We have come for you, Kitty. As soon as the horse has had a feed, we must be off.” “Is there such a terrible hurry?” asked Rose with a tone of reproach in her voice. “We have no time to lose.” “Lose, Jan?” “To waste, I mean.” “Waste, Jan?” “I mean’bother it!’we must be off as soon as the horse is a bit rested. We have a long journey to take, up and down, and little trotting ground. We have come for Kitty. You must return with us,” looking at Kate. “There has been something”’ “Let me speak,” interrupted Rose, afraid lest Pooke should let out too much. “Kitty, your uncle and aunt have met with a great loss. The stores have been burnt, and Mrs. Zerah does nothing but sob and cry after you.” “Auntie cry for me?”