And Miss Julia replied, "That is another reason for sending her to Mrs. Green's."
At which, Mrs. Paget tossed up her beautiful chin in way she had, and said nothing more.
Amity turned aside once more to a little rustic seat around the trunk of a great chestnut, and sat some little time leaning her head on her hands. Then she arose and went down a somewhat steep path with something like a dancing step till she came to a little bridge which was thrown over a deep hollow or chasm in the ground, at the bottom of which was a small pond. There was a way to get down to the water, but it was steep and rather dangerous. Amity was about to cross the bridge when she heard a pitiful whine, and looking down she saw an old friend—or I might better say an old enemy—in great trouble.
"Why, Pug!" she exclaimed. "How in the world did you get down there?"
Pug raised his little black nose and gave a pitiful howl, as if he would say, "The question is how I am to get up again."
He had fallen into the pond and seemed to be hurt, for he could hardly keep his head above water; and though he was close to the edge of the pond, he could not scramble out.
Now Amity had no reason to like Pug, who Was a sadly-spoiled dog. He would never be friends with her; he often barked and snapped at her; and he expected her to get up and open the door for him twenty times in an hour, if he chose to go in and out as often.
But she could not see the poor little fellow in danger of drowning without feeling sorry for him. At first she thought she would call one of the men; but it was a long way to the house or barn, and she felt sure that Pug would be drowned before she could get back. She looked at the path.
"It is pretty steep; but after all, I have been up and down a great deal worse places than that, in Vermont," said she. "I can't go and leave him there. Yes, poor fellow, yes, Mite is coming!"
"Mite" had been Mrs. Bogardus's pet name for her little girl, and Amity loved it dearly; but nobody called her by it now. She went slowly and safely down the path, and holding fast by a stout bush, stooped down, and, by the aid of Pug's collar, she succeeded in landing him safely on the bank.