I should like to see you attempt it!" "We can safely leave now, auntie," said Nellie; whereupon she and Mrs Gilmour strayed off through the bracken, hunting here and there for flowers on their way.
Almost the first thing to catch their sight, before indeed they had left the little turfy dell where their paraphernalia was spread out with Rover in charge, was the pretty rose-coloured blossom of the "ragged Robin," rising out of the grass.

A little further off was a cluster of the lilac field madder, named after Sherard the eminent botanist, whose herbarium is still preserved at Oxford.

This plant is one of a large family, numbering over two thousand varieties, from which the well-known dye, madder, is obtained, though, of late years, aniline colouring matter has somewhat depreciated its commercial value.
Mrs Gilmour presently picked up something better than either of these, at least in appearance.

This was a little blue flower resembling the violet, with glossy green leaves that were its especial charm.
"I declare I've found a periwinkle!" she cried--"such a fine one too." "Oh, let me look, auntie!" said Nell, peeping into her hand.

"Dear me, do you call that a periwinkle ?" "Yes, dearie.