"My dear child, the world and life are full of disappointments."
"Are they, ma'am?"
"Yes, and we must all try to meet our share with a brave heart."
"Are they all as bitter as mine?"
"Some are much worse, my boy."
"I will try to be brave, ma'am; but I really did try to put the linchpin back."
Maud was delighted to have a companion and playfellow who could be with her all day, and was soon engaged in planning various excursions to different, but favourite scenes in the neighbourhood.
"We will spend one long day," she said, "all by ourselves; we will get up very early in the morning, and cook shall fill a basket with nice things to eat; then we will row down the river until we reach the wood, in which we will roam about all day, having our dinner under the boughs of some large tree, and be for all the world like gipsies; will that not be capital?" and Maud clapped her hands with glee.
"Yes," said Leslie, "and I will take a long stick, which shall be my lance, and I will pretend to be a knight who has rescued a beautiful lady from a cruel band of robbers."