Still following their guidance he took the narrow path , till , coming to a mossy stone beside a brook , he sat down to listen to the blackbirds singing deliciously in the willows over head . Close by the stone , half hidden in the grass lay a little book , and , taking it up he found it was a pocket-diary . No name appeared on the fly-leaf , and , turning the pages to find some clue to its owner , he read here and there enough to give him glimpses into an innocent and earnest heart which seemed to be learning some hard lesson patiently . Only near the end did he find the clue in words of his own , spoken long ago , and a name . Then , though longing intensely to know more , he shut the little book and went on , showing by his altered face that the simple record of a girl 's life had touched him deeply . Soon an old house appeared nestling to the hillside with the river shining in the low green meadows just before it . `` She lives there , '' he said , with as much certainty as if the pansies by the door-stone spelt her name , and , knocking , he asked for Psyche . `` She 's gone to town , but I expect her home every minute . Ask the gentleman to walk in and wait , Katy , '' cried a voice from above , where the whisk of skirts was followed by the appearance of an inquiring eye over the banisters . The gentleman did walk in , and while he waited looked about him . The room , though very simply furnished , had a good deal of beauty in it , for the pictures were few and well chosen , the books such as never grow old , the music lying on the well-worn piano of the sort which is never out of fashion , and standing somewhat apart was one small statue in a recess full of flowers . Lovely in its simple grace and truth was the figure of a child looking upward as if watching the airy flight of some butterfly which had evidently escaped from the chrysalis still lying in the little hand . Paul was looking at it with approving eyes when Mrs. Dean appeared with his card in her hand , three shawls on her shoulders , and in her face a somewhat startled expression , as if she expected some novel demonstration from the man whose genius her daughter so much admired . `` I hope Miss Psyche is well , '' began Paul , with great discrimination if not originality . The delightfully commonplace remark tranquillized Mrs. Dean at once , and , taking off the upper shawl with a fussy gesture , she settled herself for a chat . `` Yes , thank heaven , Sy is well . I do n't know what would become of us if she was n't . It has been a hard and sorrowful year for us with Mr. Dean 's business embarrassments , my feeble health , and May 's death . I do n't know that you were aware of our loss , sir ; '' and unaffected maternal grief gave sudden dignity to the faded , fretful face of the speaker . Paul murmured his regrets , understanding better now the pathetic words on a certain tear-stained page of the little book still in his pocket .
`` Poor dear , she suffered everything , and it came very hard upon Sy , for the child was n't happy with any one else , and almost lived in her arms , '' continued Mrs. XXXXX , dropping the second shawl to get her handkerchief .
Dean Katy Paul Psyche Sy door-stone embarrassments fly-leaf minute year