Rosalind"s eyes shone at this tribute. "Cousin Louis gave it to me just before he and father started for j.a.pan, and he wrote that about the hard things because I wanted so much to go with them and I couldn"t," she explained.
"Rosalind, what was it you were talking to Maurice about, here behind the arbor one day? I couldn"t help hearing a little. It had something to do with a forest." Celia had dropped the book in her lap and looked at Rosalind with something that was almost eagerness in her lace.
Rosalind thought a moment, "Why, did you hear us? I know now what it was,"
and she turned the leaves and pointed to the paragraph beginning, "If we will, we may travel always in the Forest," then she added shyly, "You ought to belong to the Forest because of your name."
""So losing by the way the sacred gift of happiness,"" Celia repeated, her eyes on the book. "What do you mean by belonging to the Forest?" she asked, looking up.
Rosalind seldom needed to be urged to talk on this subject, and she had a sympathetic listener as she explained the Forest secret, and told how it had helped her in the loneliness of those first days in Friendship.
Celia was lonely and sad. She had held aloof so long in her proud reserve that now there seemed nowhere to turn for the sympathy she longed for, and Rosalind"s little allegory, with its simple message of patience and hope, fell upon ground well prepared.
"Oh, Rosalind," she cried, "show me how to live in the Forest!" and with a manner altogether out of keeping with the Celia known to most persons, she drew the child to her. "I wish you would love me, dear," she said.
Rosalind"s shyness faded away. She forgot about the rose, and Aunt Genevieve"s words. Here was a new friend, one who cared about the Forest.
She responded warmly to Celia"s caress, and when a few minutes later the other Arden Foresters rushed upon the scene, the two were talking together as if they had known each other always.
"Miss Celia, are you going to join our society?" asked Belle, the ardent, flying to her side and giving her a hug.
"Don"t stick yourself on my needle! I haven"t been invited yet. Rosalind tells me it is a secret society, and of course I am dying to know about it."
"Let"s tell her," said Katherine.
"Girls always want to tell everything," remarked Jack, causing Belle to frown upon him sternly.
"The magician has joined," added Rosalind.
"Then I don"t see why Miss Celia can"t. Do you, Maurice?" asked Belle.
"Listen, Belle," said Celia, laughing, and without waiting for Maurice"s reply, "there may be some difference of opinion as to whether I should be a desirable member or not; suppose you go over there under the oak and talk it over. Then if you want me I"ll consider the question."
This seemed a sensible suggestion, and the Foresters retired to the shade of the scarlet oak to discuss the matter. Jack had meant nothing but a fling at the feminine fondness for telling things, and was astonished that his remark could be supposed to reflect upon Miss Celia; and as no one else found any objection to the new member, they returned presently to inform her that she was by unanimous consent invited to become an honorary member of their society.
"As honorary members aren"t expected to do much, I"ll consider it. Now please tell me about it. What is its name and object?"
Maurice produced the book and read, ""The name of this Society shall be The Arden Foresters.""
"That sounds like Robin Hood, don"t you think?" Belle put in.
""The object,"" Maurice continued, ""shall be to remember the Secret of the Forest, to bear hard things bravely, to search for the ring, and reciprocity.""
"What ring?" Celia asked, smiling at the queer ending to this article.
"Don"t you know? Patricia"s ring. The one that is lost," Rosalind explained, sorting her leaves.
"I fear it is a hopeless quest."
"Maurice," Rosalind exclaimed, "that is the word we wanted,--the "quest"
of the ring. Let"s put it in."
"What does it mean?" asked Katherine.
"A search," Celia answered.
"Then why won"t "search" do?"
"But "quest" sounds more like the Forest," Rosalind urged.
"More romantic," added Belle, adjusting her comb and tying her ribbon.
"One word is as good as another if it means what you want to say,"
insisted Jack. "They think they are so smart with their "reciprocity," and they got it out of a book."
Rosalind glanced at him reproachfully. "We looked in the dictionary for the meaning," she said.
"I see no objection to getting it out of a book. Most const.i.tutions are patterned after others, and reciprocity is a good word. Is there any more?" Miss Celia spread her work on her knee and turned to Maurice.
"Just the watchword "The Forest.""
"I like your society very much and want to join if, as you suggested, I can be an honorary member. I can try to bear hard things bravely, and remember the Forest secret, although I haven"t any time to give to the quest of the ring."
"Then let her write her name under the magician"s," said Rosalind, clapping her hands. "Now we have seven members."
Maurice had his fountain-pen in his pocket, just as if he had expected a new member this morning, and Celia signed her name in the book beneath "C.J. Morgan, Magician."
"He wrote that for fun, because Rosalind calls him "the magician,"" Belle explained.
"I haven"t heard that old t.i.tle for many a year," Celia remarked, as she waited for her signature to dry.
"Now we have to choose a badge," said Belle.
Rosalind spread out her collection of leaves. "We thought a leaf would be appropriate," she added. There were beech, and maple, and poplar, and oak in several varieties.
"I think I should choose this," and Celia pointed to a leaf from the scarlet oak. "Not only because it is beautiful in shape, but because the oak tree stands for courage. A "heart of oak" has become a proverb, you know."
Rosalind"s eyes grew bright. "I didn"t think of its having a meaning. I like that."
"And in the fall we"ll have scarlet badges instead of green ones," said Jack.
There could be no better choice than this, they all agreed; and Jack gathered a handful, that they might put on their badges at once.
"On our way home we must stop and tell the magician about it," Rosalind said, as she pinned a leaf on Celia"s dress.
CHAPTER SIXTEENTH.