'Yes, that's Meg--Beauty, I christened her, when I called him Beast; but I
call him Pegtop now, and she's Beauty still, and that's the way o't.'

'Come, sit down now, an' make your picture,' she resumed so soon as we had
dismounted from our position of security.

'I'm afraid I'm hardly in the vein. I don't think I could draw a straight
line. My hand trembles.'

'I wish you could, Maud,' said Milly, with a look so wistful and
entreating, that considering the excursion she had made for the pencils, I
could not bear to disappoint her.

'Well, Milly, we must only try; and if we fail we can't help it. Sit you
down beside me and I'll tell you why I begin with one part and not another,
and you'll see how I make trees and the river, and--yes, _that_ pencil,
it is hard and answers for the fine light lines; but we must begin at the
beginning, and learn to copy drawings before we attempt real views like
this. And if you wish it, Milly, I'm resolved to teach you everything I
know, which, after all, is not a great deal, and we shall have such fun
making sketches of the same landscapes, and then comparing.'

And so on, Milly, quite delighted, and longing to begin her course of
instruction, sat down beside me in a rapture, and hugged and kissed me so
heartily that we were very near rolling together off the stone on which we
were seated. Her boisterous delight and good-nature helped to restore me,
and both laughing heartily together, I commenced my task.

'Dear me! who's that?' I exclaimed suddenly, as looking up from my