Brownsmiths Boy - A Romance in a Garden - Page 52/241

There was a comfortable-looking bed, and my box just at the foot, and I

was so weary and low-spirited that I was not long before I was lying

down on my left side, for I could not lie on my right on account of my

shoulder being bad.

As I lay there I could look out on the moon shining among the vine

leaves, and it seemed to me that I ought to get out and draw down the

blind; but while I was still thinking about it I suppose I must have

dropped asleep, for the next thing that seemed to occur was that I was

looking at the window, and it was morning, and as I lay trying to think

where I was I saw something move gently just outside.

At first I thought it was fancy, and that the soft morning light had

deceived me, or that one of the vine leaves had been moved by the wind;

but no, there was something moving just as Shock's head used to come

among the young shoots of the plum-trees above the wall, and, sure

enough, directly after there was that boy's head with his eyes above the

sill, staring right in upon me as I lay in bed.