But her eyes saw nothing excepting the mysterious, flat, round parcel in his hand.
"Oh, Hollis, I'm so glad!" she exclaimed, raising herself upon one elbow.
The stiff blue muslin was rather crumpled by this time, and in place of the linen collar and old-fashioned pin her mother had tied a narrow scarf of white lace about her throat; her hair was brushed back and braided in two heavy braids and her forehead was bandaged in white.
"Well, Marjorie, you are a picture, I must say," he cried, bounding in.
"Why don't you jump up and take another climb?"
"I want to. I want to see the swallow's nest again; I meant to have fed the swallows last night"
"Where are they?"
"Oh, up in the eaves. Linnet and I have climbed up and fed them."
As he dropped on his knees on the carpet beside the sofa she fell back on her pillow.
"Father is waiting for me to go to town with him and I can't stay. You will soon be climbing up to see the swallows again and hunting eggs and everything as usual."
"Oh, yes, indeed," said Marjorie, hopefully.