t home, Lilac. You must go with me at once. She is
ill."

Self-reproach darted through Lilac's heart. Why had she put off going
home? But she must do the best she could now, and she said at once:

"Hadn't I best send someone for the doctor first, ma'am?"

"He is there," answered Mrs Leigh. "He was sent for some time ago;
Daniel Wishing went."

The next thing was to get back to Mother as quickly as possible, and
Lilac turned without hesitation to the way she had meant to take--
straight down the side of the hill. But Mrs Leigh stopped aghast.

"You're not going down there, surely?" she said.

"It's as nigh again as going round, ma'am," said Lilac eagerly; "and
it's not to say difficult if you do it sideways."

Mrs Leigh still hesitated. It was very steep; the smooth turf was
slippery. There was not even a shrub or anything to cling to, and a
slip would certainly end in an awkward tumble. At another time she
would have turned from it with horror, but she looked at Lilac's
upturned anxious face and was touched with pity.

"After all," she said, grasping her umbrella courageously, "if you can
help me a little, perhaps it won't be so bad as it looks."

So they started, hand in hand, Lilac a little in front carefully leading
the way; but she was soon sorry that they had not gone round by the
road. This was a short distance for herself, but it proved a long one
now that she had Mrs Leigh with her. A slip, a stop, a slide, another
stop--it was a very slow progress indeed. As they went jerking along
the flowers fell off Lilac's dress one by one and left a white track
behind her. She had taken off her crown and held it in her hand; its
blossoms were drooping already, and its leaves folded up and limp. How
short a time it was since they had been fresh and fair, and she had
marched up the hill so bravely, full of delight. Now, poor little
discrowned Queen, she was leaving her kingdom of mirth and laughter
behind her with every step, and coming nearer to the shadowy valley
where sadness waited. After many a sigh and gasp Mrs Leigh and her
guide reached the bottom in safety. They were on comparatively level
ground now, with gently sloping fields in front of them and the sharp
shoulder of the hill rising at their back. There, within a stone's
throw stood the Wishings' cottage, and a little farther on Lilac's own
home. How quiet, how very still it all looked! Now and then there
floated in the calm air a sh