long undulating line that shone at some distance from her up the hill.
It was not the time for gossamers though; and Irene soon discovered
that
it was her own thread she saw shining on before her in the light of the
morning. It was leading her she knew not whither; but she had never in
her life been out before sunrise, and everything was so fresh and cool
and lively and full of something coming, that she felt too happy to be
afraid of anything.
After leading her up a good distance, the thread turned to the left, and
down the path upon which she and Lootie had met Curdie. But she
never
thought of that, for now in the morning light, with its far outlook over
the country, no path could have been more open and airy and cheerful.
She could see the road almost to the horizon, along which she had so
often watched her king-papa and his troop come shining, with the
bugle-blast cleaving the air before them; and it was like a companion to
her. Down and down the path went, then up, and then down, and then
up
again, getting rugged and more rugged as it went; still along the path
went the silvery thread, and still along the thread went Irene's little
rosy-tipped forefinger. By and by she came to a little stream that
jabbered and prattled down the hill, and up the side of the stream went
Madhuri Noah
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