Beneath it the pond waters shimmered with a hundred fairy hues , but just before him they were clear as a flawless mirror . The fields around him glistened with dews , and a little wandering wind , blowing lightly from some bourne in the hills , strayed down over the slopes , bringing with it an unimaginable odour and freshness , and fluttered over the pond , leaving a little path of dancing silver ripples across the mirror-glory of the water . Birds were singing in the beech woods over on Orchard Knob Farm , answering to each other from shore to shore , until the very air was tremulous with the elfin music of this wonderful midsummer dawn . `` I will get up at sunrise every morning of my life hereafter , '' exclaimed Murray rapturously , not meaning a syllable of it , but devoutly believing he did . Just as the fiery disc of the sun peered over the sand dunes Murray heard music that was not of the birds . It was a girl 's voice singing beyond the maples to his left -- a clear sweet voice , blithely trilling out the old-fashioned song , `` Five O'Clock in the Morning . '' `` Mrs. Palmer 's niece ! '' Murray sprang to his feet and tiptoed cautiously through the maples . He had heard so much from Mrs. Palmer about her niece that he felt reasonably well acquainted with her . Moreover , Mrs. Palmer had assured him that Mollie was a very pretty girl . Now a pretty girl milking cows at sunrise in the meadows sounded well . Mrs. Palmer had not over-rated her niece 's beauty . Murray said so to himself with a little whistle of amazement as he leaned unseen on the pasture fence and looked at the girl who was milking a placid Jersey less than ten yards away from him . Murray 's artistic instinct responded to the whole scene with a thrill of satisfaction . He could see only her profile , but that was perfect , and the colouring of the oval cheek and the beautiful curve of the chin were something to adore . Her hair , ruffled into lovable little ringlets by the morning wind , was coiled in glistening chestnut masses high on her bare head , and her arms , bare to the elbow , were as white as marble . Presently she began to sing again , and this time Murray joined in . She half rose from her milking stool and cast a startled glance at the maples . Then she dropped back again and began to milk determinedly , but Murray could have sworn that he saw a demure smile hovering about her lips . That , and the revelation of her full face , decided him .
He sprang over the fence and sauntered across the intervening space XXXXX lush clover blossoms .
about as before by in of on over that through