He came after her, and showed her where to place her foot, and then springing up before her, he took her hand, and in a moment she stood in the lane again, with the others close to them, just having finished their buns. Wilmot held up the clear spring water, and the whole party must needs go down into the shady dell to taste it fresh from the spring. Nellie volunteered to stay by the pony, and even Mrs. Elliott was tempted by her description to see it for herself; for she had never happened in the three years she had lived at Shellford to visit this spot. Nellie seated herself in the little carriage, and folding her hands on the reins, leaned back and looked up in the deep blue sky. "'When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, what is man that Thou art mindful of him?'" she said softly to herself. The sound of the voices came up as a murmur from the spring; the crunch of the pony's teeth as it tore away the grass, the hum of the bees in the wild honeysuckle, all were in unison with her happy spirit; and she enjoyed for a few moments one of those seasons of exquisite delight, which generally belong to youth, and which seem to strengthen for the duties of this work-a-day world. She felt quite sorry to hear them all coming back; and it was not till half of them had emerged, that she sat upright and brought herself back from dreamland. "You look happy," said Hope, coming up to her affectionately. Nellie smiled. "It is so peaceful, Hope." "Oh!" said Hope regretfully, "I would give something if—" She broke off abruptly, and the rest being now anxious to push on, there was no opportunity of knowing what Hope wanted, but Nellie guessed. Without further adventure they reached Orston Cliff, and everyone voted for an early dinner and a long afternoon. The mysteries of the hamper and baskets were now explored. All the little party were too natural and simple to disguise their interest, and so everybody set to and helped to spread the feast. A place was fixed upon under some shady trees, where in front they had a beautiful view of the sea far beneath them. The ground sloped away from them gradually for about fifty yards, and then came the edge of Orston Cliff, and beyond that an expanse of sea and sky, whose blue to-day rivalled each other. "You are very grave, Nellie," said Maude. "Only it is so beautiful," answered Nellie, taking a deep breath, and turning to the baskets once more. "Here is Maude's bread," said George, unwrapping a snowy cloth, and displaying a number of tempting rolls. "And here is another package with it." "What's this?" said Mary, feeling it with her fat little fingers. "It feels very knobby." "Let it alone, Mary," said Maude. "It is not to be opened till we have said grace." Mary put it down, and found that her mamma had turned out a blancmange and some jelly, and was now unrolling something else. What could it be?