and stronger, and
the branches of the tree spread up to the roof and even began to thrust
their way through the holes in the wall; but the boy's life, save for
his dreaming, was as friendless as the tree's was flowerless. And of a
tree's dreaming who shall speak? Meanwhile Old Gerard thrashed and
rated him, and reckoned his gold pieces, and counted the years that
still lay between him and his freedom. At last came another April
bringing its hour.

For as he sat on the Mount in the early morning, when he was in his
seventeenth year, Young Gerard saw a slender girl running over the turf
and laughing in the sunlight, sometimes stopping to watch a bird
flying, or stooping to pluck one of the tiny Down-flowers at her feet.
So she came with a dancing step to the top of the Mount, and then she
saw him, and her glee left her and shyness took its place. But a little
pride in her prevented her from turning away, and she still came
forward until she stood beside him, and said:

"Good morning, Shepherd. Is it true that in April the country north of
the hills is filled with lakes?"

"Yes, sometimes, Mistress Thea," said Young Gerard.

She looked at him with surprise and said, "You must be one of my
father's shepherds, but I do not remember seeing you at Combe Ivy."

"I was only once near Combe Ivy," said Young Gerard, "when I took you
there five years ago the night you were lost on these hills."

"Oh, I remember," she said with a faint smile. "How they did scold me.
Is your cherry-tree in flower yet, Shepherd?"

"No, mistress," said Young Gerard.

"I want to see it," she said suddenly.

Young Gerard left his flock to the dog, and walked with her along the
hillbrow.

"I have run away," she told him as they went. "I had to get up very
early while they were asleep. I shall be scolded again. But travelers
come who talk of the lakes, and I wanted to see them, and to swim in
them."

"I wouldn't do that," said Young Gerard, hiding a smile. "It's
dangerous to swim in the April floods. And it would be rather cold."

"What lies beyond?" she asked.

"I'm not able to know," said Young Gerard.

"Some day I mean to know, shepherd."

"Yes, mistress," he said, "you'll be free to."

She looked at him quickly and reddened a little, it might have been
from shame or pity, Young Gerard did not know which. And her shyness
once more enveloped her; it always came over her unexpectedly, taking
her breath away like a breaking wave. So s