He sang to himself, “What shall I do With this life that thrills me through and through! Glad is so glad that it turns to ache! Out with it, song, or my heart will break!” He sang to me, “Man, do not fear Though the moon goes down, and the dark is near; Listen my song, and rest thine eyes; Let the moon go down that the sun may rise!” I folded me up in the heart of his tune, And fell asleep in the sinking moon; I woke with the day's first golden gleam, And lo, I had dreamed a precious dream! CHAPTER XXVI. _RICHARD AND ALICE_. One evening Richard went to see his grandfather, and asked if he would allow him to give Miss Wylder a lesson in horseshoeing: she wanted, he said, to be able to shoe Miss Brown--or indeed any horse. Simon laughed heartily at the proposal: it was too great an absurdity to admit of serious objection! “Ah, you don't know Miss Wylder, grandfather!” said Richard. “Of course not! Never an old man knew anything about a girl! It's only the young fellows can fathom a woman! Having girls of his own blinds a man to the nature of them! There's going to be a law passed against growing old! It's an unfortunate habit the world's got into somehow, and the young fellows are going to put a stop to it for fear of losing their wisdom!” As the blacksmith spoke, he went on rasping and filing at a house-door key, fast in a vice on his bench; and his words seemed to Richard to fall from his mouth like the raspings from his rasp. “Well, grandfather,” said Richard, “if Miss Wylder don't astonish you, she'll astonish me!” “Have you ever seen her drive a nail, boy?” “Not once; but I am just as sure she will do it--and better than any beginner you've seen yet!” “Well, well, lad! we'll see! we'll see! She's welcome anyhow to come and have her try! What day shall it be?” “That I can't tell yet.” “It makes me grin to think o' them doll's hands with a great hoof in them!” “They _are_ little hands--she's little herself--but they ain't doll's hands, grandfather. You should have seen her box Miss Vixen's ears for making a face at me! Her ears didn't take them for doll's hands, I'll be bound! The room rang again!” “Bring her when you like, lad,” said Simon.