thepedlarsaidwhenhehadatlastsafelygotoutofsodomandgomorrah,ashecalledit."theopenhighroadismyrightplace;upthereididnotfeelatease."

thelittlemaid,whowasstillwatchingthegeese,noddedkindlytohimashepassedthroughthegate.

daysandweekspassed,anditwasseenthatthebrokenwillow-branchwhichthepeddlarhadstuckintothegroundneartheditchremainedfreshandgreen-nay,itevenputforthfreshtwigs;thelittlegoose-girlsawthatthebranchhadtakenroot,andwasverypleased;thetree,soshesaid,wasnowhertree.whilethetreewasadvancing,everythingelseatthecastlewasgoingbackward,throughfeastingandgambling,forthesearetworollersuponwhichnobodystandssafely.lessthansixyearsafterwardsthebaronpassedoutofhiscastle-gateapoorbeggar,whilethebaronialseathadbeenboughtbyarichtradesman.hewastheverypedlartheyhadmadefunofandpouredbeerintoastockingforhimtodrink;buthonestyandindustrybringoneforward,andnowthepedlarwasthepossessorofthebaronialestate.fromthattimeforwardnocard-playingwaspermittedthere.

"that'sabadpastime,"hesaid;"whenthedevilsawthebibleforthefirsttimehewantedtoproduceacaricatureinoppositiontoit,andinventedcard-playing."

thenewproprietoroftheestatetookawife,andwhomdidhetake?-thelittlegoose-girl,whohadalwaysremainedgoodandkind,andwholookedasbeautifulinhernewclothesasifshehadbeenaladyofhighbirth.andhowdidallthiscomeabout?thatwouldbetoolongataletotellinourbusytime,butitreallyhappened,andthemostimportanteventshaveyettobetold.

itwaspleasantandcheerfultoliveintheoldplacenow:themothersuperintendedthehousehold,andthefatherlookedafterthingsout-of-doors,andtheywereindeedveryprosperous.

wherehonestyleadstheway,prosperityissuretofollow.theoldmansionwasrepairedandpainted,theditcheswerecleanedandfruit-treesplanted;allwashomelyandpleasant,andthefloorswereaswhiteandshiningasapasteboard.inthelongwintereveningsthemistressandhermaidssatatthespinning-wheelinthelargehall;everysundaythecounsellor-thistitlethepedlarhadobtained,althoughonlyinhisolddays-readaloudaportionfromthechildren(fortheyhadchildren)allreceivedthebesteducation,buttheywerenotallequallyclever,asisthecaseinallfamilies.

inthemeantimethewillowtreenearthedrawbridgehadgrownupintoasplendidtree,andstoodthere,free,andwasneverclipped."itisourgenealogicaltree,"saidtheoldpeopletotheirchildren,"andthereforeitmustbehonoured."

ahundredyearshadelapsed.itwasinourowndays;thelakehadbeentransformedintomarshland;thewholebaronialseathad,asitwere,disappeared.apoolofwaternearsomeruinedwallswastheonlyremainderofthedeepditches;andherestoodamagnificentoldtreewithoverhangingbranches-thatwasthegenealogicalreitstood,andshowedhowbeautifulawillowcanlookifonedoesnotinterferewithit.thetrunk,itistrue,wascleftinthemiddlefromtheroottothecrown;thestormshadbentitalittle,butitstillstoodthere,andoutofeverycreviceandcleft,inwhichwindandweatherhadcarriedmould,bladesofgrassandflowerssprangforth.especiallyabove,wherethelargeboughsparted,therewasquiteahanginggarden,inwhichwildraspberriesandhart's-tonguefernsthrove,andevenalittlemistletoehadtakenroot,andgrewgracefullyintheoldwillowbranches,whichwerereflectedinthedarkwaterbeneathwhenthewindblewthechickweedintothecornerofthepool.afootpathwhichledacrossthefieldspassedclosebytheoldtree.highup,onthewoodyhillside,stoodthenewmansion.ithadasplendidview,andwaslargeandmagnificent;itswindowpanesweresoclearthatonemighthavethoughttherewerenonethereatall.thelargeflightofstepswhichledtotheentrancelookedlikeabowercoveredwithrosesandbroad-leavedplants.thelawnwasasgreenasifeachbladeofgrasswascleanedseparatelymorningandevening.inside,inthehall,valuableoilpaintingswerehangingonthewalls.herestoodchairsandsofascoveredwithsilkandvelvet,whichcouldbeeasilyrolledaboutoncastors;thereweretableswithpolishedmarbletops,andbooksboundinmoroccowithgiltdeed,well-to-doanddistinguishedpeoplelivedhere;itwasthedwellingofthebaronandhisfamily.eacharticlewasinkeepingwithitssurroundings."everythingintherightplace"wasthemottoaccordingtowhichtheyalsoactedhere,andthereforeallthepaintingswhichhadoncebeenthehonourandgloryoftheoldmansionwerenowhungupinthepassagewhichledtotheservants'rooms.itwasalloldlumber,especiallytwoportraits-onerepresentingamaninascarletcoatwithawig,andtheotheraladywithpowderedandcurledhairholdingaroseinherhand,eachofthembeingsurroundedbyalargewreathofwillowbranches.bothportraitshadmanyholesinthem,becausethebaron'ssonsusedthetwooldpeopleastargetsfortheircrossbows.theyrepresentedthecounsellorandhiswife,fromwhomthewholefamilydescended."buttheydidnotproperlybelongtoourfamily,"saidoneoftheboys;"hewasapedlarandshekeptthegeese.theywerenotlikepapaandmamma."theportraitswereoldlumber,and"everythinginitsrightplace."thatwaswhythegreat-grandparentshadbeenhungupinthepassageleadingtotheservants'rooms.

thesonofthevillagepastorwastutoratthemansion.onedayhewentforawalkacrossthefieldswithhisyoungpupilsandtheireldersister,whohadlatelybeenconfirmed.theywalkedalongtheroadwhichpassedbytheoldwillowtree,andwhiletheywereontheroadshepickedabunchoffield-flowers."everythingintherightplace,"andindeedthebunchlookedverybeautiful.atthesametimeshelistenedtoallthatwassaid,andsheverymuchlikedtohearthepastor'ssonspeakabouttheelementsandofthegreatmenandwomeninhistory.shehadahealthymind,nobleinthoughtanddeed,andwithaheartfullofloveforeverythingthatgodhadcreated.theystoppedattheoldwillowtree,astheyoungestofthebaron'ssonswishedverymuchtohaveaflutefromit,suchashadbeencutforhimfromotherwillowtrees;thepastor'ssonbrokeabranchoff."oh,praydonotdoit!"