The next morning George Howe and Leander Towle left the party for Birmingham, London, and Paris, as their means would not admit of their making easy zigzag journeys through England, in the way that Master Lewis had planned for the other boys. They agreed to meet Master Lewis and their companions in London, on their return from Paris, at which time they would have completed their tour, and would be obliged to leave for home before the others made their journey through Normandy. Ernest Wynn, as we have said, was very fond of old English and Scottish ballads, and he never lost any good opportunity to hear a new song. While the party were talking over their plans for visiting English places, the sound of a piano in an adjoining room fell upon Ernest's ear. He left his companions, and, going into the open room from which the music came, listened attentively to the playing. "Do you sing?" asked Ernest of the player, who was a pleasant-faced little miss about ten or twelve years of age. "Sometimes." "I like music. Will you not sing for me?" "If I can. What would you have me sing?" "Oh, something about Carlisle: something that I would not hear at home." "Where is your home?" "In America." "In America! What, so far? Perhaps you would like to hear 'Mona's Waters?'" "Yes," said Ernest. The song was very winningly sung. "Now perhaps you would like to hear 'When first I came to merry Carlisle'?" Ernest smiled. "It doesn't mean you at all. It was a girl who lost her lover in one of the Border Wars. "'When first I came to merry Carlisle, Ne'er was a town sae sweetly seeming: The white rose flaunted o'er the wall, The thistled banners far were streaming. "'When next I came to merry Carlisle, Oh sad, sad, seemed the town, an' eerie! The auld, auld men came out and wept, O maiden! come ye to seek yere dearie?'" "Thank you for that song," said Ernest. "I have heard 'Highland Mary' sung at Ayr, and shall always remember it. And I shall also be pleased to recollect,-- "'When first I came to merry Carlisle.'" "And 'the girl I left behind me,'" said Tommy Toby to Ernest, softly. The Miss saw the point of the joke, and, as it was politely spoken, received the implied compliment with becoming modesty and good-humor, saying that she should also remember very pleasantly the visit of the Zigzag Club to her father's house. CHAPTER VIII. A CLOUDLESS DAY. Sherwood Forest.--Nottingham.--Story of the Wise Men of Gotham. "Have stood by the graves of Wordsworth and Coleridge. The trees were green and cool; the Rotha rippled beside the poets' resting-place, and Helvellyn and Catchedicam in the distance rose in the calm, bright air. Beautiful indeed are these mountains in midsummer. The whole Lake region is beautiful--beautiful!" Such was the brief entry Wyllys Wynn made in the journal in his guide-book, on returning from the English Lakes.