You say that you cannot work, that you have heard all this at
least a thousand times; well, never mind, hear it once more!
Take German lessons, your German is very bad; go on with your
singing, your sweet voice is very ignorant; read, make some study,
however unprofitable, of the French Revolution, the Renaissance, the
Conquest of Peru, anything, anything you like; or buy a
sewing-machine at least, and make flannel petticoats for the poor;
anything, Constantia, only don't for Heaven's sake sit there with
your hands in your lap, listening to the gabble of fools, while Mrs.
Rayner touches up a curl here and a frill there, from morning till
night, for ever and ever.
But now to other things, for indeed I am not in the fault-finding
mood you might suppose. Only, as you know well, I can always worry
about you, at any time.
Well, I have seen my wood-sprite again, this very morning. I could
not sleep after six, although I twice covered up my head with the
bed-clothes and made believe I was not awake; so I got up, and the
young sun was so beautiful, driving the mists out of the valley,
that I went out.
Between the flower garden and the park, there lies a shrubbery;
green paths wind in and out between high walls of box and laurel,
leading one at length to a little blue door in an old wall.
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