“Away, away from men and towns,
  To the wild wood and the downs!”

And then interrupted herself to say, “You must not care, Mr. Howard, if I chatter away and do all the talking.  It has been a long time since I have paid a visit to my friends out here, and they will all be here to welcome me.”

Even as Helen spoke she looked up, and there was the bobolink flying over her head and pouring out his song; also the merry breeze was dancing over the meadows, and everything about her was in motion.

“Do you know,” she told her companion, “I think most of the happiness of my life has been out in these fields; I don’t know what made me so fond of the country, but even when I was a very little thing, whenever I learned a new song I would come out here and sing it.  Those were times when I had nothing to do but be happy, you know, and I never thought about anything else.  It has always been so easy for me to be happy, I don’t know why.  There is a fountain of joy in my heart that wells up whether I want it to or not, so that I can always be as merry as I choose.  I am afraid that is very selfish, isn’t it, Mr. Howard?  I am trying to be right now, you know.”

“You may consider you are being merry for my sake at present,” said the man with a laugh.  “It is not always so easy for me to be joyful.”

“Very well, then,” smiled Helen; “I only wish that you had brought your violin along.  For you see I always think of these things of Nature with music; when I was little they were all creatures that danced with me.  These winds that are so lively were funny little fairy-men, and you could see all the flowers shake as they swept over them; whenever I heard any music that was quick and bright I always used to fancy that some of them had hold of my hands and were teaching me to run.  I never thought about asking why, but I used to find that very exciting.  And then there was my streamlet—­he’s just ahead here past the bushes—­and I used to like him best of all.  For he was a very beautiful youth, with a crown of flowers upon his head; there was a wonderful light in his eyes, and his voice was very strong and clear, and his step very swift, so it was quite wonderful when you danced with him.  For he was the lord of all the rest, and everything around you got into motion then; there was never any stopping, for you know the streamlet always goes faster and faster, and gets more and more joyous, until you cannot bear it any more and have to give up.  We shall have to play the Kreutzer Sonata some time, Mr. Howard.’

“I was thinking of that,” said the other, smiling.