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"Perhaps they're up in Parliament," observed Brandon. "No, that they're not," Swan exclaimed; "so sure as they're there they make the roof ring." "And the door's, locked." "Yes, the door's locked, and wherever they air they've got the key. They let nobody in, sir, but my daughter, and she goes o' mornings to sweep it out." "Well, Swan, good day. Come on, George, we'll try the fir-wood first."
To anything but appearances they were blind. They never set foot within fir-wood or hazel-copse, nor dreamt of the marvels hid therein. The mysterious sources sources as of old Nile that fed the duck-pond had no magic for them. They cared not about exploring for robbers' caves, nor digging for hidden treasure.
For it was in the fir-wood that Sydney Vane had been found murdered it was in the fir-wood that Hubert Lepel had first felt that his hand was red with his cousin's blood. He had not at first felt all the horror of his deed. He told himself again and again that he had been justified in what he did. He had punished a man for a base and craven act; he had challenged him and met him in fair fight.
Caius was left for the hour to look over his establishment and make friends with his horse. It was all very surprising. The bit of road that lay between Madame Le Maître's house and the house allotted to Caius led, winding down a hill, through a stunted fir-wood. The small firs held out gnarled and knotty branches towards the road; their needles were a dark rich green.
He turned hastily to go; he had lingered too long, had excited his own emotions too keenly. He resolved that he would never visit the lonely fir-wood again. He wondered why it had stood so long. If he had been the General, he would have had the trees hewn down after the trial, and done away with every memento of the place.
Thus it came as a relief to his ear, the removal of an oppression little longer to be endured, when he heard behind him what were apparently the voices of the odd-looking uncouth natives he had seen a quarter of an hour ago lurking, silent but alert and peering, phantoms of old story rather than humans, in the fir-wood near a defile made by a brawling cataract.
'I entirely forgot the right honourable, and marched into the dining-room to tell Aunt Catharine that I have killed a rose-coloured pastor. 'Killed what? 'A bird, hardly ever seen in England. I spied him in the fir-wood, went to Warren for a gun, brought him down, and walked on to the House Beautiful, where Miss Faithfull was enchanted. She will copy him, and send him to the bird-stuffer.
"I vote we have a look and see where the cave leads to," said Bill, taking up a long piece of fir-wood which burnt like a torch. Jack provided himself with another of a similar character, and, by waving them about, they found that they could keep them alight. They also took one of their candles and their match-box in case their torches should go out.
Beyond Balmoral, in the Braemar direction, stretches the fine deer- forest a great fir-wood on broken ground of Ballochbuie, a remnant of the old forest of Mar, where a pretended hunting expedition meant a projected rebellion. It is said an earl of that name bestowed it on a Farquaharson in exchange for so small a matter as a plaid. It is now part of the estate of Balmoral.
The princess wandered about the field day by day, no other plants or fruits in all her wonderful garden pleased her as much as these roots; but still her eyes were full of discontent. And, best of all, she loved to while away the hours in a shady fir-wood, seated upon the bank of a little stream, into which she would cast the flowers she had gathered and watch them float away.
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