But when they reached the green solitudes of the park woodlands the bitterness began to pass away.  It was all so beautiful; the mossy riding up which they turned was so springy underfoot, and the singing of a thousand birds made endless music whichever way they wandered.

“It’s better than church, isn’t it?” said Jeanie softly, pressing close to her.  And Avery smiled in answer.  It was balm to the spirit.

The Squire’s preserves were enclosed in wire netting, and over this they climbed into their primrose paradise.  Several partridges rose from the children’s feet, and whirred noisily away, to the huge delight of the boys but to Avery’s considerable dismay.  However, Marshall was evidently not within earshot, and they settled down to the serious business of filling their baskets for the church decorations without interference.

The primroses grew thickly in a wonderful carpet that spread in all directions, sloping down to a glade where gurgled a brown stream.  Down this glade Avery directed her party, keeping a somewhat anxious eye upon Gracie and the three boys who were in the wildest spirits after the severe strain of the morning.  She and Jeanie picked rapidly and methodically.  Olive had decided not to accompany the expedition.  She did not care for primrosing, she told Avery, and her father had promised to read the Testament in Greek with her later in the afternoon, an intellectual exercise which she plainly regarded as extremely meritorious.

Her absence troubled no one; in fact Julian, having over-heard her excuse, remarked rudely that if she was going to put on side, they were better off without her; and Avery secretly agreed with him.

So in cheery accord they went their careless way through the preserves, scaring the birds and filling their baskets with great industry.  They had reached the end of the glade and were contemplating fording the brook when like a bolt from the blue discovery came upon them.  A sound, like the blare of an angry bull, assailed them—­a furious inarticulate sound that speedily resolved into words.

“What the devil are you mischievous brats doing there?”

The whole party jumped violently at the suddenness of the attack.  Avery’s heart gave a most unpleasant jerk.  She knew that voice.

Swiftly she turned in the direction whence it came, and saw again the huge white horse of the trampling hoofs that had once before been urged against her.

He was stamping and fretting on the other side of the stream, the banks of which were so steep as almost to form a chasm, and from his back the terrible old Squire hurled the vials of his wrath.

Ronald drew near to Avery, while Jeanie slipped a nervous hand into hers.  Julian, however, turned a defiant face.  “It’s all right.  He can’t get at us,” he said audibly.

At which remark Gracie laughed a little hysterically, and Pat made a grimace.

Perhaps it was this last that chiefly infuriated the Squire, for he literally bellowed with rage, snatched his animal back with a merciless hand, and then with whip and spur set him full at the stream.