But he asked if my father would spare me to come down and spend the evening with him instead.

I rightly considered Sweep as included in the invitation, and we went together.
As we went up the drive (so familiar to me and poor little Rubens!) I thought I had never seen the Rector's garden in richer beauty, or heard such a chorus from the birds he loved and protected.

Indeed the border plants were luxuriant almost to disorder.

It struck me that Mr.
Andrewes had not been gardening for some time.

Perhaps this idea led me to notice how ill he looked when I went indoors.