
In this spirited tale we follow a bright‑eyed young woman from Stratford‑upon‑Avon as she wanders the blooming fields of a May morning, her laughter mingling with the song of swallows and the hum of bees. Her confident greetings and effortless charm hint at a self‑assured spirit, while her keen eye for the world’s simple beauties—wildflowers, distant larks, and the glittering Avon—draws listeners into a vivid, sun‑drenched landscape.
Soon the carefree stroll turns into a subtle game of observation as she ventures onto a steep, winding path where shadows gather and the air grows hushed. Here, beneath the leafy canopy, the promise of an unseen encounter begins to stir, suggesting that Judith’s wandering may lead to more than mere idle pastime. The opening chapters set the stage for a story of love, intrigue, and the quiet adventures that blossom when curiosity meets destiny.
Language
en
Duration
~13 hours (794K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Eleni Christofaki and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2011-10-18
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1841–1898
A popular Scottish novelist of the late Victorian era, he wrote vivid, readable stories that often drew on the landscapes of Scotland and the Highlands. His books won a wide audience in his lifetime and helped shape the mood of nineteenth-century popular fiction.
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