Animals are such agreeable friends--they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.
The 'Mosslands' was a remote part of the grounds, encircled by the little stream issuing from the pool; and certainly, for a wet day, Caterina could hardly have chosen a less suitable walk, for though the rain was abating, and presently ceased altogether, there was still a smart shower falling from the trees which arched over the greater part of her way.

But she found just the desired relief from her feverish excitement in labouring along the wet paths with an umbrella that made her arm ache.
This amount of exertion was to her tiny body what a day's hunting often was to Mr.Gilfil, who at times had _his_ fits of jealousy and sadness to get rid of, and wisely had recourse to nature's innocent opium--fatigue.
When Caterina reached the pretty arched wooden bridge which formed the only entrance to the Mosslands for any but webbed feet, the sun had mastered the clouds, and was shining through the boughs of the tall elms that made a deep nest for the gardener's cottage--turning the raindrops into diamonds, and inviting the nasturtium flowers creeping over the porch and low-thatched roof to lift up their flame-coloured heads once more.

The rooks were cawing with many-voiced monotony, apparently--by a remarkable approximation to human intelligence--finding great conversational resources in the change of weather.

The mossy turf, studded with the broad blades of marsh-loving plants, told that Mr.
Bates's nest was rather damp in the best of weather; but he was of opinion that a little external moisture would hurt no man who was not perversely neglectful of that obvious and providential antidote, rum-and-water.
Caterina loved this nest.

Every object in it, every sound that haunted it, had been familiar to her from the days when she had been carried thither on Mr.Bates's arm, making little cawing noises to imitate the rooks, clapping her hands at the green frogs leaping in the moist grass, and fixing grave eyes on the gardener's fowls cluck-clucking under their pens.