24 BEYOND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

With one hand she shaded her eyes from the beams of the sun,
the other she waved to the children.

“ What a dear little girl,” said Cowslip, with a sigh. ‘“ What is
the matter with you, Clover? How cross you look.”

“T cannot account for my feeling,” said Clover. “I think we
did wrong to go into that cottage. I am persuaded that trouble will
come of it.”

“ But how can trouble come of it, dear Clover? The cottage was
marked in pale blue ink on the map.”

“Yes, but the marks made by the King himself were in red. Why
should this cottage be marked in pale blue? ‘There, there, my mind
misgives me, Cowslip; but there is nothing for us now but to make
up for lost time, and go on as fast as we can. I wonder which of
these roads we had better take ? ”

“Oh, that one, of course,” said Cowslip; ‘“‘there cannot be the
smallest doubt about that. It is the road that most people walk
on, for it is wide and smooth and nicely kept, and part of it runs
through that lovely green meadow, with trees at one side, and flowers
growing on the banks. JI can see the colour of the flowers even from
here, and there’s a little stream, too. Perhaps we shall see trout in
it. Oh, Clover, there cannot be the least doubt which is the right |
path to take.”

“JT am not so sure of that,” said Clover. “TI have always heard
that the path to the Mountains is steep and narrow. Just hold my
basket of fruit for a moment, Cowslip, while I look in the map
again.”

“T think that map is no end ofatrouble,” said Cowslip ; “who can
possibly compare these two roads? Of course, if that lovely smooth
one led away from the Mountains, I would not have a word to say;
but it goes to them just as directly as the steep path.”

“Yes, but the steep path is undoubtedly shorter,’ said Clover.
“Ah, I see Iam right. Here it is marked quite distinctly on the map.
Come along, Cowslip darling. We must avoid that pleasant path by
the green meadow. We must go up the hill.”

“T hate going up a hill,” said Cowslip.