The girls ' door shut with a bang . Silence fell over the house . We drifted into the land of sleep , wondering if the Story Girl would like us . CHAPTER II . A QUEEN OF HEARTS I wakened shortly after sunrise . The pale May sunshine was showering through the spruces , and a chill , inspiring wind was tossing the boughs about . `` Felix , wake up , '' I whispered , shaking him . `` What 's the matter ? '' he murmured reluctantly . `` It 's morning . Let 's get up and go down and out . I ca n't wait another minute to see the places father has told us of . '' We slipped out of bed and dressed , without arousing Dan , who was still slumbering soundly , his mouth wide open , and his bed-clothes kicked off on the floor . I had hard work to keep Felix from trying to see if he could `` shy '' a marble into that tempting open mouth . I told him it would waken Dan , who would then likely insist on getting up and accompanying us , and it would be so much nicer to go by ourselves for the first time . Everything was very still as we crept downstairs . Out in the kitchen we heard some one , presumably Uncle Alec , lighting the fire ; but the heart of house had not yet begun to beat for the day . We paused a moment in the hall to look at the big `` Grandfather '' clock . It was not going , but it seemed like an old , familiar acquaintance to us , with the gilt balls on its three peaks ; the little dial and pointer which would indicate the changes of the moon , and the very dent in its wooden door which father had made when he was a boy , by kicking it in a fit of naughtiness . Then we opened the front door and stepped out , rapture swelling in our bosoms .
There was a rare breeze from the south blowing to meet us ; the shadows of the spruces were long and clear-cut ; the exquisite skies of early morning , blue and wind-winnowed , were XXXXX us ; away to the west , beyond the brook field , was a long valley and a hill purple with firs and laced with still leafless beeches and maples .
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