m; what a new and strange pleasure it was
for herself; and how oddly life changes about things; that the
impossible thing at Wiglands should be possible at Plassy.

"What sort of places are you looking for, Mr. Rhys?" Eleanor inquired
at last.

"All sorts of places," he said smiling. "All sorts at least of wet
places. But I know nothing about it, you know, except what I have read.
They say, wherever water is found, some or other species of these
minute wonders may be met with; standing pools, and rivers, and ditches
all have them; and some particularly beautiful are to be found in bog
water; so with, I am afraid you will think, a not very commendable
impatience, I am pointing my steps towards a bog that I know--in the
wish to get some of the best first."

"That is being very impatient," said Eleanor laughing. "I should be
satisfied with almost anything, for the first."

"So you will very probably have to be. I am by no means sure of
accomplishing my design. Am I walking too fast for you, in the
meanwhile?"

"Not at all. I am thinking, Mr. Rhys, how we are to bring home the bog
water when we have found it."

In answer to which, he put his hand in his pocket and brought out
thence and deposited in his basket one after another of half a dozen or
more little phials, all duly corked. Eleanor was very much amused.

"And what is this stick to do, that you wanted me to bring?"

"You will see."

The bog was reached in due time, after a walk over a most delicious
country, for the most part new to Eleanor. Water was found, though not
exactly with the conditions Mr. Rhys desired; however a phial of it was
dipped up, corked and marked. Then they retraced their steps partially,
diverging right and left. Just the right sort of pool was found at
last; covered with duck-weed. Here Mr. Rhys stopped and tied one of the
phials to the end of the stick. With this he dipped water from the
surface, then he dipped from the bottom; he took from one side and from
another side, where there was sunshine and where there was shade;
pouring each dipping into a fresh phial, while Eleanor in a great state
of amusement corked and labelled each as it was filled. At last it was
done. Mr. Rhys filled his last phial, looked at Eleanor's face, and
smiled.

"You do not think much is going to come of all this?" he said.

"Yes I do," said Eleanor. "At least I hope so."

"I know it. Look through that."

He put a pocket lens into her hand and bade