No one ever thought of not doing--and at once--what godmother told them. Rollo and Maia said good-bye even more lovingly than usual to their dear Waldo and Silva, and then godmother, holding a hand of each, set out on their homeward journey.
It was as she had said--the storm-spirits were in the air. Above the wind and the cracking of the branches, brittle with the frost, and the far-off cries of birds and other creatures on their way to shelter in their nests or lairs, came another sound which the children had heard of but never before caught with their own ears--a strange, indescribable sound, neither like the murmuring of the distant sea nor the growl of thunder nor the shriek of the hurricane, yet recalling all of these.
''Tis the voice of the storm,' said godmother softly. 'Pray to the good God, my darlings, for those that travel by land or sea. And now, farewell!--that beaten path between the trees will bring you out at the castle gate, and no harm will come to you. Good-bye!'
She lingered a little over the last word, and this encouraged Maia to ask a question.
'When shall we see you again, dear godmother? And will you not tell us more about why you are sad?'
'It will pass with the storm, for all is for the best,' said godmother dreamily. 'When one joy passes, another comes. Remember that. And no true joy is ever past. Keep well within shelter, my children, till the storm has had its way, and then----' she stopped again.
'Then? What then? Oh, _do_ tell us,' persisted Maia. 'You know, dear godmother, it is _very_ dull in the white castle when we mayn't go out. Lady Venelda makes them give us many more lessons to keep us out of mischief, she says, and we really don't much mind. It's better to do lessons than nothing. Oh, godmother, we would have been _so_ miserable here if we hadn't had you and Waldo and Silva!'
Godmother stroked Maia's sunny head and smiled down into her eyes. And something just then--was it a last ray of the setting sun hurrying off to calmer skies till the storm should have passed?--lighted up godmother's own face and hair with a wonderful glow. She looked like a beautiful young girl.
'Oh, how pretty you are!' said the children under their breath. But they were too used to these strange changes in godmother's appearance to be as astonished as many would have been.