once more they began to see surfaces—mead-
ows wide-spread, and quiet gardens, and the
river itself from bank to bank, all softly disclosed,
all washed clean of mystery and terror, all ra-
diant again as by day, but with a difference
that was tremendous. Their old haunts greeted
them again in other raiment, as if they had
slipped away and put on this pure new apparel
and come quietly back, smiling as they shyly
waited to see if they would be recognised again
under it.
Fastening their boat to a willow, the friends
landed in this silent, silver kingdom, and pa-
tiently explored the hedges, the hollow trees,
the runnels and their little culverts, the ditches
and dry water-ways. Embarking again and
crossing over, they worked their way up the
stream in this manner, while the moon, serene
and detached in a cloudless sky, did what she
could, though so far off, to help them in their
quest; till her hour came and she sank earth-
wards reluctantly, and left them, and mystery
once more held field and river.
Then a change began slowly to declare itself.
