It was so the year father died. Do you believe in signs, Mr. Hatton?'
she asked.
"Then, mother, without my knowledge or intention I answered, '_Oh, my
dear_! The world is full of signs and the man must be deaf and blind
that does not believe in them. I have seen just round Hatton that the
whole bird world is ruled by the signs that the trees hang out.' And she
asked me what they were, and I told her to notice next spring that as
soon as the birch-leaves opened, the pheasant began to crow and the
thrush to sing and the blackbird to whistle; and when the oak-leaves
looked their reddest, and not a day before, the whole tribe of finches
broke into song.
"Thus talking, mother, and getting very close and friendly with each
other, we passed through the park, and I could not help noticing the
abundance of hares and pheasants. Jane said they had not been molested
since her father's death, but now they were going to send some of them
to market. As we approached the house, an old man came to meet us and I
gave my horse to his care.
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