th flowers all about her everywhere?"

Sam looked over to Corniel, winked, and touched his brow.

Lionel caught the gesture.

"Oh, now, none of that!" he said; "my head is not wandering. She came
before you did, some charming little thing, I tell you, that was all
brightness and flowers."

"We saw no one, Mars' Lion," began Corniel; "you was all 'lone when we
comed up. Ef there'd been anybuddy else roun', dey couldn't 'a' got 'way
dout our seein' 'em."

"Oh, well, never mind," said the young master, "if none of you saw any
one, there's no use in talking, but I know what I saw, and my head
wasn't light or flighty, either."

The well-trained servants did not reply, but Bill, the groom, who stood
behind Lionel, rolled his eyes in so droll a fashion, at the same time
touching his own woolly crown, that Sam Spruce only stopped a titter by
a loud cough.

But he did not deceive his bright young master.

"Oh, you fellows may grin and make up eyes all you want to," he said,
good-naturedly, "but I wasn't knocked crazy all at once, and one of
these days you may find out I saw just what I say I did. Now get me home
as fast as you can."

They helped him mount the proud but steady Lord Rollin, and in a moment
more three of them rode away, leaving Sam Spruce to walk back.

Left alone, Sam took a good look around, and Sally, who had seen them
talking but could not hear what was said, was in terror lest he should
spy her in the branches of the oak; but Sam, who looked in other
directions, did not look up, and, finally, wagging his head in a knowing
way, he moved off, greatly to Sally's relief.

The maid was in a kind of dream all the rest of the day, and, without
exactly knowing it, she was very happy. Shortly before noon she returned
to the house, and going directly to the mirror in the keeping-room she
said, without vanity, but with considerable curiosity:

"I wonder if I am fair at all?" and as the mirror flashed back the image
of a maiden surely very pleasant to look upon, she chuckled:

"I don't care, very glad I am that when I first touched the Fairy Prince
and looked right into his eyes, I was in my best attire, and also
dressed in flowers. I wonder did it mean anything?"

"What should it mean?" asked the faithful Fairy.

"Mistress Cory Ann might say it was a good sign," said Sally.

"Do not be a silly, taking note of signs and omens!" cried the Fairy.
"They bear no meaning except for simple souls that know no