On an evening soon after the thunderstorm, in a late twilight,
with a half-moon high in the heavens, I came upon Diamond in the act
of climbing by his little ladder into the beech-tree.

"What are you always going up there for, Diamond?" I heard Nanny ask,
rather rudely, I thought.

"Sometimes for one thing, sometimes for another, Nanny,"
answered Diamond, looking skywards as he climbed.

"You'll break your neck some day," she said.

"I'm going up to look at the moon to-night," he added, without heeding
her remark.

"You'll see the moon just as well down here," she returned.

"I don't think so."

"You'll be no nearer to her up there."

"Oh, yes! I shall. I must be nearer her, you know. I wish I
could dream as pretty dreams about her as you can, Nanny."

"You silly! you never have done about that dream. I never dreamed
but that one, and it was nonsense enough, I'm sure."

"It wasn't nonsense. It was a beautiful dream--and a funny one too,
both in one."