a
muddy bit of gravel shelving to the river. She did not know what made
this break in the bank. It had been formed by cows and horses coming
down to drink. In the field there were now no animals; had there been
she would have hesitated about remaining in it. But as soon as Phil
had disappeared she stood and looked about her, and perceived that
there was no living creature in sight, except the larks singing on
high and the grasshoppers chirping among the grass.

Juliet walked swiftly across the field to a gate which stood open, and
through which she passed. Hardly had she entered the second field when
she saw at the further side of it about a dozen cows. Her heart fell.
Like most London girls she was horribly afraid of cows. Yet to go back
would be to undo her plan; besides the animals had already seen her,
and all their heads were turned in her direction.

"I must not irritate them," she thought, "and yet I must get on out of
this field. If I creep along under the hedge they will not notice me."

Her frock was a dark green, and her hat a black one. She sidled along
close to the hedge, keeping her eyes on the cows, which presently
resumed their feeding. But as she did not look where she was treading
she went down, splash! into a ditch.

Mud and duckweed covered her boots, several dirty marks were made on
her frock, the parcel fell out of her hand, and probably the black
stains on the paper had penetrated to the contents. This was her first
misfortune.

She got herself out of the ditch and went on more carefully, keeping
still in the shade of the hedge. Then a great spray of bramble caught
a bow of ribbon on her hat and lifted the whole thing off her head.
It flew up in the air, and only after repeated jumps could she get
hold of it and bring it down again. This was her second misfortune.

Her tumblings and jumpings had attracted the attention of the cows
once more, and a calf being young and inquisitive thought he would
like to have a nearer view of the intruder, and began to follow
Juliet. This was her third misfortune.

Her first impulse was to run, but a second thought told her that the
cows would be sure to run after her. So she did not run, but walked as
fast as she could, the calf walking faster and gaining on her. She
stumbled and tripped and panted, and fixed her eyes on a gate, hoping
that she might reach it before the calf came up with her. On she went
with terrified steps, arrived at the gate, and foun