and I was half afraid she didn't like
it after all.

Bruno, too, was watching her anxiously, and when she jumped down from
the mound, and began wandering up and down the little walks, he
cautiously followed her about, evidently anxious that she should form
her own opinion of it all, without any hint from him. And when at last
she drew a long breath, and gave her verdict,--in a hurried whisper,
and without the slightest regard to grammar,--"It's the loveliest thing
as I never saw in all my life before!" the little fellow looked as well
pleased as if it had been given by all the judges and juries in England
put together.

"And did you really do it all by yourself, Bruno?" said Sylvie. "And
all for me?"

"I was helped a bit," Bruno began, with a merry little laugh at her
surprise. "We've been at it all the afternoon; I thought you 'd like--"
and here the poor little fellow's lip began to quiver, and all in a
moment he burst out crying, and, running up to Sylvie, he flung his
arms passionately round her neck, and hid his face on her shoulder.

There was a little quiver in Sylvie's voice too, as she whispered,
"Why, what's the matter, darling?" and tried to lift up his head and
kiss him.

But Bruno only clung to her, sobbing, and wouldn't be comforted till he
had confessed all.

"I tried--to spoil your garden--first--but--I 'll never--never----" and
then came another burst of tears which drowned the rest of the
sentence. At last he got out the words, "I liked--putting in the
flowers--for _you_, Sylvie--and I never was so happy before," and the
rosy little face came up at last to be kissed, all wet with tears as it
was.

Sylvie was crying too by this time, and she said nothing but "Bruno
dear!" and "_I_ never was so happy before;" though why two children who
had never been so happy before should both be crying was a great
mystery to me.

[Illustration: "IT'S THE LOVELIEST THING AS I NEVER SAW IN ALL MY LIFE
BEFORE!"]

I, too, felt very happy, but of course I didn't cry; "big things" never
do, you know--we leave all that to the fairies. Only I think it must
have been raining a little just then, for I found a drop or two on my
cheeks.

After that they went through the whole garden again, flower by flower,
as if it were a long sentence they were spelling out, with kisses for
commas, and a great hug by way of a full-stop when they got to the end.

"Do you know, that was my river-edge, Sylvie?" Bruno began, looking