It passed through the garden, under the long arbors of grapevines, over the hill, and through a grove of maples, ending at the river where the boat-house stood.

The brightness of the morning was not lost on me, and before I reached the maple-grove I was buoyant and happy.

At the entrance of the grove (which was traversed by several paths, the principal coming up directly from the river) I came suddenly upon the tutor, walking rapidly, with a pair of oars over his shoulder.

He started, and for a moment we both stood still and did not speak.

I could only think with confusion of my emotion when he sang.
"You are always early," he said, with his slight, very slight, foreign accent, "earlier than yesterday by half an hour," he added, looking at his watch.