stand firm and not let them through; and for a moment Marjorie did stand
firm before the oncoming army of waving ears and flying feet; but when
she felt the first scrambling of paws about her ankles, she lost her
nerve, and in a sudden panic she fled wildly across the road and on to
the top rail of the fence on the other side; and by the time that the
boy reached the opening, the rabbits were scattered in every direction
up and down the road and over the fields. For a few moments he stood,
looking after them, and then, without glancing toward Marjorie, he took
up in his arms one trembling little white fellow who had failed to find
the opening, and turned toward the shed with it.

Marjorie climbed slowly down from the fence and walked along the road,
silently and with her head down.

Presently the Dream spoke. "Was it your work that the boy was doing?" he
asked.

"No," said Marjorie.

"Was he worried and uncertain when you came along? Did he ask for your
opinion or advice?"

"No," said Marjorie.

"And what did you do?"

Marjorie spoke in a very low voice, but very steadily. "I criticised him
unjustly; I talked about him in the hearing of other people, and some of
them will never know that he was right and I was wrong; and I
interfered, and now--" Marjorie stopped and swallowed hard.