refreshed the day and strengthened the eyes, and one's ears were opened
to hear from every side the chorus which in a more varied landscape one
took as a part of the glittering moving world outside the house.

Anne unbolted the house-door. The dog rose from the hearth and stretched
itself slowly, yawning and shutting its mouth with a snap. Then it
walked to the door, waiting until it was dragged open grating on the
sand of the floor. The cool morning air came in like a visitor. The old
dog pushed against Anne as she stepped outside, sneezed, yawned again,
and lay down in the sunshine to finish his nap.

"Haven't you had enough sleep yet, Lion?" said Anne. "Look, what a
beautiful day it is! Why, there's Mary on the road already," she added,
looking over the low gate.

Mary was coming straight down the middle of the road, her
black-and-white terrier sniffing on all sides and pulling the cord by
which she held him. When he perceived the presence of the other dog he
began to advance by leaps, uttering little yelps between each like a
child's jumping toy. Lion, with the superiority of a larger dog, raised
himself without hurry and advanced to meet the terrier, who excitedly
whined and sniffed about him.

"Good morning," said Anne, "you're out early."

"Yes," replied Mary, standing quite still in the position in which she
had halted. "I came over the fields. The grass is very wet though.
There's a mist, surely."

"Yes, a thick one," said Anne, "but the sun's coming through. Listen to