Out of the library into the conservatory, Madeline conducted her friend. Here again Roland was delighted, for dearly did he love flowers and all beautiful things. "How happy you ought to be, Madeline, with such a world of beauty all around you." "Which of these flowers would you rather take home, Roland?" asked the child. His eye roved hastily around, and rested with a smile upon a simple purple flower, as he said, "That little mountain heather." "What! pass by these lovely roses, and take that little flower!" "Yes, Madeline, I love it best; it is our own Scotch flower, and grows all over our dark mountains." "You shall have a plant to take home to your mother, Roland." Next she led him up a long staircase and directed him to stand still at the head of the first landing; leading him to the window, she said, "Hark! Roland, do you hear any music?" Roland stood entranced as he listened to the low, plaintive strains that came swelling over the strings of an Eolian harp, and as the breeze rose higher, louder, wilder, fuller swept the weird sounds among the strings. "How beautiful, Madeline!" exclaimed the boy. "That's what I call the fairies' concert, Roland; on wild winter nights you cannot imagine what that music is like--it puts me in mind of Ossian's poetry." Down the stair-case and out among her pets, next we find our little girl. "Here are my pet doves, Roland; Patty and Jim; they know me now, and always begin to coo when I come near them. And here is my canary--but I want you to see Bob," and out into the stable-yard trotted Maddy and ran up to a donkey that stood nibbling away at some grass. She patted him on the head, and Bob made a singular noise to show his pleasure. Roland attempted the same liberty, but in a minute, Master Bob kicked up his hind legs, and set up a hideous bray. Maddy laughed heartily, and said, "Bob don't like strangers, Roland; but that's the most harm that he ever does." "They are useful animals, Madeline. I have often thought that it would be such a treasure if I had a cart and donkey; but that I cannot get, for we are too poor." Maddy smiled with a knowing look as she conducted her favorite back into the drawing-room, and, finding the coast clear, she described the pictures to Roland, and then sat down to the piano, and played and sang sweetly, "I remember, I remember The house where I was born-- The little window where the sun Came peeping in at morn; He never came a wink too soon, Nor brought too long a day; But now I often wish the night Had borne my breath away." "I am much obliged to you, Maddy, for your kindness, but I really must go now; I have kept you long enough from your friends," and Roland took up his pot of heather to go home. "Friends, indeed! Fudge upon such friends! They have no sense, and I don't care for one of them."