"I have never seen a river. I have so longed to see a river, and especially the Thames. Do you know—
"'Sweet Thames, run softly till I end my song!'
"And again—Oh, there are swans!
"'With that I saw two swans of goodly hue
Come softly swimming down along the lee;
Two fairer birds I never yet did see.'"
"I am glad you read poetry, my dear."
"But I do not. I cannot read; I only remember. Mrs. L'Estrange, can we get close to it, quite close to the water? I want to see it flowing."
They went back into the garden, where Lawrence was lying in the shade, doing nothing. Phillis looked not at the flowers or the spring blossoms; she hurried Agatha across the lawn, and stood at the edge, gazing at the water.
"I should like," she murmured presently, after a silence—"I should like to be in a boat and drift slowly down between the banks, seeing everything as we passed, until we came to the place where all the ships come up. Jack said he would take me to see the great ships sailing home laden with their precious things. Perhaps he will. But, O Mrs. L'Estrange, how sweet it is! There is the reflection of the tree; see how the swans sail up and down; there are the water-lilies; and look, there are the light and shade chasing each other up the river before the wind."