it, except when it is in the nominative case."

Because of the cellar-kitchen, there was a high piazza built up to the
sitting-room windows on the west, which gradually came to the
ground-level along the front. Under this was the woodshed. The piazza
was open, unroofed: only at the front door was a wide covered portico,
from which steps went down to the gravelled entrance. A light low
railing ran around the whole.

Here we had those blessed country hours of day-done, when it was right
and lawful to be openly idle in this world, and to look over through
the beautiful evening glooms to neighbor worlds, that showed always a
round of busy light, and yet seemed somehow to keep holiday-time with
us, and to be only out at play in the spacious ether.

We used to think of the sunset all the day through, wondering what new
glory it would spread for us, and gathering eagerly to see, as for the
witnessing of a pageant.

The moon was young, for our first delight; and the evening planet hung
close by; they dropped down through the gold together, till they
touched the very rim of the farthest possible horizon; when they slid
silently beneath, we caught our suspended breath.

[Illustration]

"But the curtain isn't down," said Barbara, after a hush.

No. The great scene was all open, still. Wide from north to south
stretched the deep, sweet heaven, full of the tenderest tints and