Being proud of my tiara, which had cost some trouble, I set it on my head at once, to save the chance of crushing, and carrying my gray hat, ventured by a path not often trod.

For I must be home at the supper-time, or grandfather would be exceeding wrath; and the worst of his anger is that he never condescends to show it.
'Therefore, instead of the open mead, or the windings of the river, I made short cut through the ash-trees covert which lies in the middle of our vale, with the water skirting or cleaving it.

You have never been up so far as that--at least to the best of my knowledge--but you see it like a long gray spot, from the top of the cliffs above us.

Here I was not likely to meet any of our people because the young ones are afraid of some ancient tale about it, and the old ones have no love of trees where gunshots are uncertain.
'It was more almost than dusk, down below the tree-leaves, and I was eager to go through, and be again beyond it.

For the gray dark hung around me, scarcely showing shadow; and the little light that glimmered seemed to come up from the ground.