"All in good time," answered Wilmot. "I'm showing Miss Arundel the beauties of our neighbourhood."
Nellie made her way across the damp stones to the mouth of the dell.
"Wait a moment," called Wilmot; "you do not know how to get up."
He came after her, and showed her where to place her foot, and then springing up before her, he took her hand, and in a moment she stood in the lane again, with the others close to them, just having finished their buns.
Wilmot held up the clear spring water, and the whole party must needs go down into the shady dell to taste it fresh from the spring. Nellie volunteered to stay by the pony, and even Mrs. Elliott was tempted by her description to see it for herself; for she had never happened in the three years she had lived at Shellford to visit this spot.
Nellie seated herself in the little carriage, and folding her hands on the reins, leaned back and looked up in the deep blue sky.
"'When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, what is man that Thou art mindful of him?'" she said softly to herself.
The sound of the voices came up as a murmur from the spring; the crunch of the pony's teeth as it tore away the grass, the hum of the bees in the wild honeysuckle, all were in unison with her happy spirit; and she enjoyed for a few moments one of those seasons of exquisite delight, which generally belong to youth, and which seem to strengthen for the duties of this work-a-day world.
She felt quite sorry to hear them all coming back; and it was not till half of them had emerged, that she sat upright and brought herself back from dreamland.
"You look happy," said Hope, coming up to her affectionately.