"Take care, dear Ellen don't take up the trade of suspecting evil; you could not take up a worse; and even when it is forced upon you, see as little of it as you can, and forget as soon as you can what you see. Your aunt, it may be, is not a very happy person, and no one can tell but those that are unhappy how hard it is not to be unamiable too. Return good for evil as fast as you can, and you will soon either have nothing to complain of or be very well able to bear it."
They now began to go up the mountain, and the path became in places steep and rugged enough. "There is an easier way on the other side," said Alice, "but this is the nearest for us." Captain Parry now showed signs of being decidedly weary, and permitted Alice to take him up. But he presently mounted from her arms to her shoulder, and to Ellen's great amusement, kept his place there, passing from one shoulder to the other, and every now and then sticking his nose up into her bonnet as if to kiss her.
"What does he do that for?" said Ellen.
"Because he loves me, and is pleased," said Alice. "Put your ear close, Ellen, and hear the quiet way he is purring to himself do you hear? That's his way; he very seldom purrs aloud."
"He's a very funny cat," said Ellen laughing.
"Cat!" said Alice; "there isn't such a cat as this to be seen. He's a cat to be respected, my old Captain Parry. He's not to be laughed at, Ellen, I can tell you."
The travellers went on with good will; but the path was so steep, and the way so long that when about half-way up the mountain they were fain to follow the example of their four- footed companion, and rest themselves. They sat down on the ground. They had warmed themselves with walking, but the weather was as chill and disagreeable and gusty as ever; every now and then the wind came sweeping by, catching up the dried leaves at their feet, and whirling and scattering them off to a distance winter's warning voice.
"I never was in the country before when the leaves were off the trees," said Ellen. "It isn't so pretty, Miss Alice; do you think so?"
"So pretty! No, I suppose not, if we were to have it all the while; but I like the change very much."
"Do you like to see the leaves off the trees?"