Page:Burnett - Two Little Pilgrims' Progress A Story of the City Beautiful.djvu/172

156 the day before, and he paused upon the steps, interested again, and conscious of being curious.

"What are they going to do?" he said to himself.

"They are going to do something. Where did they pick up the other one?—poor little chap!"

Meg had been looking very thoughtful during that moment of hesitancy. She spoke, and he was near enough to hear her.

"He shall open them where he can hear the water splashing in the fountain," she said. "I think that's the best."

It seemed that Robin thought so too. They turned and took their way to the end of the court where the dome lifted itself wonderful against the sky, and a splendour of rushing water from which magnificent sea-monsters rose, stood guard before.

Their Man followed them. He had had a bad night, and had come out in a dark world. The streams of pleasure-seekers, the gaily fluttering flags, the exhilaration in the very air seemed to make his world blacker and more empty. A year before he had planned to see this wonder with the one soul on earth who would have been most thrilled, and who would have made him most thrill to its deepest and highest meaning. Green grass and summer roses were waving over the earth that had shut in all dreams like these