pe proposed to try his luck, saying, that if he
succeeded, every one who wished should have a ride on his horse.

To the surprise of the children, he turned towards the water, and walked
along the bank. The brimming river was smooth as glass; and where it
stood in among the rushes, and in every tiny inlet, it was as clear as
the air, and alive with small fish, which darted at the flies that
dimpled the surface. A swan, which had been quietly sailing in the
middle of the stream, changed its deportment as the party proceeded
along the bank. It ruffled its breast feathers, arched back its neck
till the head rested between the erect wings, and drove through the
water with a speed which shivered the pictures in it as a sweeping gale
would have done.

"What is the matter with the creature?" asked Margaret; "I never saw a
swan behave so."

The children seemed rather afraid that the bird would come on shore and
attack them. Mr Hope took the opportunity of its being at some little
distance, to open the rushes, and show where a fine milk-white egg lay
in a large round nest.

"Oh, Mr Hope, you knew!" cried the children, "you knew there was a
swan's nest near."

"Yes; and did not you, when you saw how the swan behaved? But I was
aware of this nest before. Tom Creach has the care of the park swans;
he made this nest, and he told me where it was. Let your cousins have a
peep; and then we will go, before the poor swan grows too much
frightened. And now, who will have a ride on my horse?"

All the children chose to ride; and, while Mr Hope was coursing with
them in turn, round and round the meadow, the young ladies proceeded
along the bank. A quarter of a mile further on, they fell in with
Sydney Grey and his friend Mr Philip. They had been successful in
their sport. Mr Enderby had had enough of it, and was stretched on the
grass reading, while Sydney stood on the roots of an old oak, casting
his line into the pool beneath its shadow.

"So, here you are, quite safe!" said Sophia; "George Rowland might have
come after all. Poor boy! I am glad he is not with us, he would be so
mortified to see all the fish you have caught without him!"

"How many times have we been in the river, Sydney? Can you remember?"
asked Mr Enderby.

"I have seen no fish big enough to pull us in," said Sydney; "and I do
not know any other way of getting a wetting at this sport. Mrs Rowland
should have seen George and me climbing the old o