The Two Guardians | Page 5

her disposition was not to express her
feelings readily, and besides, she was young enough to be able to put
aside anxiety which, perhaps, she did not fully comprehend. It was the
ordinary state of things for her father to be unwell, and his illness
scarcely weighed upon her spirits, especially on a holiday and day of
pleasure like the present; for though she often shared Edmund's walks
and rides, a long expedition like this was an unusual treat.
After traversing several fields, they entered a winding path through a
copse, which, descending a steep hill side, conducted them at length to
the verge of a clear stream, which danced over or round the numerous
rocks which obstructed its passage, making a pleasant, rippling sound.
Here and there under the overhanging trees were deep quiet pools,
where the water, of clear transparent brown color, contained numbers
of little trout, the object of Edmund's pursuit. But more frequently the
water splashed, dashed, and brawled along its rocky way, at the bottom
of the narrow wooded ravine in which the valley ended. It was indeed a

beautiful scene, with the sun glancing on the green of the trees and the
bright sparkling water; and Marian could scarcely restrain her
exclamations of delight, out of consideration for the silence required by
her cousin's sport. She helped him to put his rod together, and arrange
his reel, with the dexterity of one who well understood the matter; and
then sat down under a fern-covered rock with a book in her hand,
whilst he commenced his fishing. As he slowly proceeded up the
stream, she changed her place so as to follow him at a distance; now
and then making expeditions into the wood at the side of the hill to
study some remarkable rock, some tree of peculiar form, or to gather a
handsome fern-leaf, or nodding fox-glove with its purple bells. Or the
little sketch-book came out, and she caught the form of the rock with a
few strokes of bold outline and firm shading, with more power over her
soft pencil than is usual at her age, though her foliage was not of the
most perfect description. Her own occupations did not, however,
prevent her from observing all her cousin's proceedings; she knew
whenever he captured a trout, she was at hand to offer help when his
hook, was caught in a bramble, and took full and complete interest in
the sport.
At last, after a successful fishing up the glen, they arrived at a place
where the ravine was suddenly closed in by a perpendicular rock of
about twenty feet in height, down which the water fell with its full
proportion of foam and spray, forming a cascade which Marian thought
"magnificent,"--Edmund, "very pretty."
"Edmund, I am afraid the Lake country has spoilt you for Devonshire. I
wish they had never sent your regiment to the north!"
"That would not prevent the falls in Westmoreland from being twice
the height of this."
"It would prevent you from saying that here it is not as beautiful as any
thing can be."
"And nothing short of that will satisfy you. You had better stand in a
narrow pass, and challenge every passer-by to battle in defence of the
beauty of Fern Torr."

"I don't care about every body; but you, Edmund, ought to be more
dutiful to your own home."
"You are exclusive, Marian; but come," and he stuck his rod into the
ground, "let us have some of your sandwiches."
"Not till you confess that you like Fern Torr better than all the fine
places that you ever saw."
"Liking with all one's heart is one thing, admiring above all others is
another, as you will find when you have seen more of the world,
Marian."
"I am sure I shall never think so."
While this contest was going on, Marian had unpacked some
sandwiches and biscuits, and they sat down to eat them with the
appetite due to such a walk. Then came a conversation, in which
Marian submitted to hear something of the beauties of the Lakes, in the
shape of a comment on the "Bridal of Triermain," which she had
brought with her; next an attempt at sketching the cascade, in which
Edmund was successful enough to make Marian much discontented
with her own performance, and declare that she was tired of sitting still,
and had a great mind to try to climb up the rocks by the side of the fall.
She was light, active, and well able to scramble, and with a little help
here and there from her cousin's strong hand, the top was merrily
gained; and springing along from rock to rock, they traced the windings
of the stream even to the end of the copse and