garden. Even before May was over, Jacques, who was
all day abroad on the hills watching his sheep, counted eight or nine
parties, which came in carriages to the inn, and climbed the mountain
on foot.

"Heister Kamp was quite set up by the honour of receiving so many noble
persons in her house, and still more pleased in pocketing the silver
she got from them.

"There was great benefit also to Father St. Goar from the coming of
these strangers, for he never failed to drop in just about the time
that the guests had finished their dinner, and was always invited to
taste of any savoury dish which remained, to which Heister generally
added a bottle of the ordinary wine of the country.

"Things were being carried on in this sort of way when, one morning in
the beginning of June, Margot and Meeta and Jacques went higher up the
hill towards the waterfall to gather sweet herbs and flowers to strew
upon the linen that was spread on the sward before the cottage door.

"Margot could not reach the roses which grew above her head, so she
busied herself in plucking the wild thyme and other lowly flowers which
grew on either side of the path, putting them into her little basket
and calling out from one moment to another:

"'See, Jacques! see, see, Meeta! see how pretty!'

"But Meeta and Jacques were too busy to attend to her, for Meeta had
climbed on a huge piece which had fallen from the rock, and was
throwing wreaths of roses to Jacques, who was gathering them up; but at
length it was impossible for them not to give some attention to the
little one, she was calling to them with such impatience.

"'Come, Jacques! come, Meeta!' she cried, 'I have found such a pretty
little green fishing-net, all spotted with moons; and it has got rings,
pretty gold rings; and there are yellow fish in it.' And she quite
stamped with eagerness.

"'What does she say?' cried Meeta; 'little magpie, what is it?'

"'A pretty little net,' replied Margot, 'and fish in it, and moons and
rings. Oh, come, come!'

"'She has found something strange,' said Jacques; 'I hope nothing that
will hurt her.' And down he came tumbling, in his own active way,
straight to his little sister, being quickly followed by Meeta.

"Margot was holding up what she had found, crying:

"'Pretty, pretty, pretty!' for it was quite bright and sparkling in the
sun.

"'It is a purse!' said Jacques.

"'A green silk purse,' added Meeta, 'with gold spangles and tassels,
and gol