day raiment
which Cousin Maud had made for us. Likewise, for each of us, a green
riding habit, fit for the forest, was made of good Florence cloth; and
if ever two young maids rode out with glad and thankful hearts into the
fair, sunny world, we were those maids when, on Saint Margaret's day in
the morning--[The 13th July, old style.]--we bid adieu and, mounted on
our saddles, followed Balzer, the old forester, whom my uncle had sent
with four men at arms on horseback to attend us, and two beasts of
burthen to carry Susan and the "woman's gear."

As we rode forth at this early hour, across the fields, and saw the
lark mount singing, we likewise lifted up our voices, and did not stop
singing till we entered the wood. Then in the dewy silence our minds
were turned to devotion and a Sabbath mood, and we spoke not of what
was in our minds; only once--and it seems as I could hear her now--these
simple words rose from Ann's heart to her lips: "I am so thankful!"

And I was thankful at that hour, with my whole heart; and as the great
hills of the Alps cover their heads with pure snow as they get nearer
to heaven, so should every good man or woman, when in some happy hour
he feels God's mercy nigh him, deck his heart with pure and joyful
thanksgiving.

At last we drew up on a plot shut in by tall trees, in front of a
bee-keeper's hut, and while we were there, refreshing on some new milk
and the store Cousin Maud had put into our saddle bags, we heard the
barking of hounds and a noise of hoofs, and ere long Uncle Conrad was
giving us a welcome.

He was right glad to let us wait upon him and fell to with a will; but
he made us set forth again sooner than was our pleasure, and as we fared
farther the old forest rang with many a merry jest and much laughter. To
Ann it seemed that my uncle was but now opening her eyes and ears to the
mystery of the forest, which Gotz had shown me long years ago. How many
a bird's pipe did he teach her to know which till now she had never
marked! And each had its special significance, for my uncle named them
all by their names and described them; whereas his son could copy them
so as to deceive the ear, twittering, singing, whistling and calling,
each after his kind. To the end that Ann and my uncle should learn to
come together closely I put no word into his teaching.

Not till we came to the skirts of the clearing, where the forest lodge
came in sight against the screen of trees, was my uncle