20 BEYOND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

“Yes,” said Clover. “As far as we can see, both paths seem to
wind ia and out in the direction of the mountains, but I am pretty
sure that this is the one we ought to walk on, Cowslip.”

“Why? That does look a stupid road,” exclaimed Cowslip.

“ But if you will look again,” continued her brother, “ you will
see that it is straight and slightly uphill, and the other road goes
slightly down.”

“ But it runs close to that lovely little house,” said Cowslip. “I
am quite certain that is the right way—and oh,” she exclaimed,
suddenly clapping her hands, “do you see that little girl standing in
the doorway ?—that little girl all in blue, with sprigs of forget-me-not
round her neck. She is beckoning us, she is pointing to the road
which leads to her cottage, and beckoning to us to come to her.”

* We had better look in our map,” said Clover, “and see if there
is any road marked on it the least like that flowery, twisting path
which leads to that pretty house.”

“No, no,” said Cowslip. “I am certain that is the right path.
Don’t wait to look at the map, please, dear Clover. It is so rude not
to answer that dear little girl. I for one am going to speak to her
at any rate.”

As Cowslip spoke she ran down the flowery path, and Clover felt
obliged to follow her.

The little girl was certainly very pretty. She wore a pale blue
frock, which almost exactly matched in colour the forget-me-nots round
her head and neck. Her hair was of the palest gold and hung far
below her waist. Her eyes were of the same forget-me-not blue as
- her frock, her lips were like rosebuds, and when she smiled her little
teeth showed like white pearls.

She came out immediately to welcome the children.

“T am so glad to see you,’ she exclaimed. “Not one single
traveller has passed this house this morning. I had breakfast ready
and no one came to eat it. Now I have dinner ready. Would you
like to guess what I have got for dinner 2?”

“Very much,” said Cowslip.

“ But I don’t think we are on the right path,” said Clover. ‘We