Three days after they had come to the cottage the weather changed, and
they woke up one morning to find the snow gone, and the wind in the
south, and the sun shining, so that it was like the first beginning of
spring.

Mr. Tebrick let his vixen out into the garden after breakfast, stayed
with her awhile, and then went indoors to write some letters.

When he got out again he could see no sign of her anywhere, so that he
ran about bewildered, calling to her. At last he spied a mound of fresh
earth by the wall in one corner of the garden, and running thither found
that there was a hole freshly dug seeming to go under the wall. On this
he ran out of the garden quickly till he came to the other side of the
wall, but there was no hole there, so he concluded that she was not yet
got through. So it proved to be, for reaching down into the hole he felt
her brush with his hand, and could hear her distinctly working away with
her claws. He called to her then, saying: "Silvia, Silvia, why do you do
this? Are you trying to escape from me? I am your husband, and if I keep
you confined it is to protect you, not to let you run into danger. Show
me how I can make you happy and I will do it, but do not try to escape
from me. I love you, Silvia; is it because of that that you want to fly
from me to go into the world where you will be in danger of your life
always? There are dogs everywhere and they all would kill you if it were
not for me. Come out, Silvia, come out."

But Silvia would not listen to him, so he waited there silent. Then he
spoke to her in a different way, asking her had she forgot the bargain
she made with him that she would not go out alone, but now when she had
all the liberty of a garden to herself would she wantonly break her
word? And he asked her, were they not married? And had she not always