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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/21942-h.zip b/21942-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3200dce --- /dev/null +++ b/21942-h.zip diff --git a/21942-h/21942-h.htm b/21942-h/21942-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..47b50d7 --- /dev/null +++ b/21942-h/21942-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1490 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" /> +<title>Dickory Dock</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + H1, H2 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + } + H3, H4 { + text-align: left; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + TD { vertical-align: top; } + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + color: gray;} + + .citation {vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: none;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h2> +<a href="#startoftext">Dickory Dock, by L. T. Meade</a> +</h2> +<pre> +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Dickory Dock, by L. T. Meade + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Dickory Dock + + +Author: L. T. Meade + + + +Release Date: June 26, 2007 [eBook #21942] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DICKORY DOCK*** +</pre> +<p><a name="startoftext"></a></p> +<p>Transcribed from the [1890] W. & R. Chambers edition, by +David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/cover.jpg"> +<img alt="Book cover" src="images/cover.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<h1>DICKORY DOCK</h1> +<p style="text-align: center"><span class="smcap">by</span><br /> +L. T. MEADE</p> +<p style="text-align: center"><span class="smcap">author +of</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">‘scamp and i,’ +‘daddy’s boy,’ ‘a world of +girls,’</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">‘poor miss carolina,’ +&c.</span></p> +<p style="text-align: center">W. & R. CHAMBERS, <span +class="smcap">Limited</span><br /> +LONDON AND EDINBURGH</p> +<p style="text-align: center"><!-- page 4--><a +name="page4"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 4</span>Edinburgh:<br +/> +Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited.</p> +<h2><!-- page 5--><a name="page5"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +5</span>CHAPTER I.</h2> +<p>Of course there was a baby in the case—a baby and +mongrel dog, and a little boy and girl. They baby was +small, and not particularly fair, but it had round limbs and a +dimple or two, and a soft, half-pathetic, half-doggy look in its +blue eyes, and the usual knack, which most helpless little babies +have, of twining itself round the hearts of those who took care +of it.</p> +<p>The caretakers of this baby were the two children and the +dog. Of course <!-- page 6--><a name="page6"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 6</span>a woman, who went by the name of +nurse, did duty somewhere in the background; she washed the baby +and dressed it in the morning, and she undressed it at night, and +she prepared food for it; but the caretakers who called up smiles +to the little white face, who caused the baby to show that +enticing little dimple which it had in one of its cheeks, who +made that strange, sweet, half-pathetic, half-humorous look come +into its eyes, were the children and the dog. The baby had +a sad history; it had entered the world with sorrow. Its +mother had died at its birth, and the little wee orphan creature +had been brought away almost directly to an uncle’s +house.</p> +<p>‘We must do it, wife,’ said Mr Franklin; +‘there’s poor John died two months back, and now +there’s his widow following him, poor creature, and no one +to look <!-- page 7--><a name="page7"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 7</span>after that wee mite of a babe. +We must have it here, it’s our plain duty, and I +don’t suppose one extra mouth to feed can make much +difference.’</p> +<p>‘That’s all you men know,’ replied Mrs +Franklin, who was a very tall, thin, fretful-looking woman. +‘No difference indeed! A baby make no +difference! And who’s to tend on the lodgers, and +bring in the grist to the mill, if all my time, day and night, is +taken up minding the baby!’</p> +<p>‘Well, well,’ said Mr Franklin. He was as +peaceable as his wife was the reverse. He did not want the +baby, but neither did he wish to send poor John’s child to +the workhouse.</p> +<p>‘You must make the best of it, wife,’ he +said. ‘Martha’ll help you, and I daresay Peter +and Flossy will take a turn in looking after the young +’un.’</p> +<p>Mrs Franklin said no more; she went up-stairs, and got a +certain disused attic <!-- page 8--><a name="page8"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 8</span>into some sort of order. The +attic was far away from the rest of the house; it was the top +story of a wing, which had been added on to the tall, ramshackle +old house. In some of the rooms underneath, the Franklin +family themselves slept; in others they lived, and in others they +cooked. The rest of the house, therefore, was free for the +accommodation of lodgers.</p> +<p>Mrs Franklin earned the family bread by taking in +lodgers. She was far more active than her husband, who had +a very small clerkship in the city; without her aid the children, +Peter and Flossy, could scarcely have lived, but by dint of +toiling from morning to night, of saving every penny, of turning +and re-turning worn-out clothes, and scrubbing and cooking and +brushing and cleaning, Mrs Franklin contrived to make two ends +meet. Her lodgers said that the rooms they occupied were +clean and neat, that their food was <!-- page 9--><a +name="page9"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 9</span>well cooked, +and above all things that the house was quiet. Therefore +they stayed on; year after year the same people lived in the +parlours, and occupied the genteel drawing-room floor; and hard +as her lot was, Mrs Franklin considered herself a lucky woman, +and her neighbours often envied her.</p> +<p>The house where the Franklins lived was in one of those remote +old-world half-forgotten squares which are to be found at the +back of Bloomsbury. In their day these squares had seen +fashion and life, but the gay world had long, long ago passed +them by and forgotten them, and in consequence, although the +houses were large and commodious, the rents were low.</p> +<p>Things had gone fairly well with the Franklins since they took +the old house—that is, things had gone fairly well until +the arrival of the baby—but, as Mrs Franklin said to her +husband, no <!-- page 10--><a name="page10"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 10</span>baby could come into any house +without making a sight of difference. She had only two +servants to help her in all her heavy work, and how could either +she or they devote much time to nursing and tending a little +new-born child?</p> +<p>The baby, however, arrived. It was sent up at once to +the nursery which was hastily prepared for it. Flossy, aged +six, and Peter, who was between eight and nine, followed it +up-stairs, and watched it with profound and breathless interest, +while Martha, the most trustworthy of the servants, undressed it, +and fed it, and put it to sleep.</p> +<p>‘It’s a perfect duck,’ said Flossy. +‘Look at its wee little face, and isn’t its skin +soft! Might we kiss it, Martha? Would it break it, or +anything, if we was to kiss it very soft and tender +like?’</p> +<p>‘It ain’t a doll, child,’ said Martha. +‘It won’t break with you loving of it. <!-- +page 11--><a name="page11"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +11</span>Kiss it, Flossy—babes is meant for kissing +of.’</p> +<p>The children bent down, and printed a tender salute on the wee +baby’s face, and that night they scarcely slept themselves +for fear of disturbing it.</p> +<p>‘I hope we’ll be allowed to take care of the wee +baby,’ whispered Flossy to her brother. ‘I +think we could do it werry nice; don’t you, +Peter?’</p> +<p>‘Yes,’ replied Peter. ‘It would be +something to amuse us; it’s rather dull, you know, always +having to keep quiet on account of the lodgers.’</p> +<p>Peter and Flossy soon found they were to have their +wish. Martha could only spare a very short time to +attending to the baby’s wants, and the poor little mite +would have had a very unhappy and neglected life but for the +children.</p> +<p>As it happened, however, the wee white baby had not a dull +life of it at <!-- page 12--><a name="page12"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 12</span>all; when its teeth were not +troubling it, and when it was not very hungry, it had quite a +merry time. It was devoted to the children, and even when +it was sending forth its wail for more food and some real +mother’s love, it would stop crying and give a clear hearty +little laugh if Flossy shook her head of tangled red-brown hair +in front of it, or if Snip-snap, the mongrel terrier, stood on +his hind-legs and begged to it.</p> +<p>Peter and Flossy had been rather troublesome children before +the arrival of the baby. Mrs Franklin’s lodgers were +fond of calling them ‘little termagants,’ and liked +exceedingly to hint to the mother that if the termagants did not +make themselves scarce they would be obliged to seek other +quarters. Poor Mrs Franklin was always extremely frightened +when these things were said, for she knew the rent, and to a +certain <!-- page 13--><a name="page13"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 13</span>extent the daily bread of the +children, depended on the lodgers. When she learned that +the baby must inevitably come to them, she laid one very solemn +command upon her household.</p> +<p>‘On no account whatever let out to Mrs Sinclair, and Mrs +Potts, and Mr Martin that there is a baby in the house. If +you do, go they will, and nothing that I can possibly say will +keep them. I’m terribly frightened to think how the +baby’s existence can be kept from them, but if they know +it, most certainly go they will.’</p> +<p>‘Mother,’ said Flossy, who was rather afraid of +her mother, and did not often put a direct question to her, +‘if the baby stays up in the old, old attic-nursery, and if +Pete and me and Snip can play with it and it never cries, then +Mrs Potts and Mr Martin needn’t know nothing about it, need +they, mother?’</p> +<p><!-- page 14--><a name="page14"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +14</span>‘If it never cries, Flossy, they need not know +about it,’ answered Mrs Franklin; ‘but whoever yet +heard of a baby not crying? Of course it will cry all day +and all night. I know it will be the ruin of us, and I +think it was very unkind of your father to allow it to be brought +here.’</p> +<p>‘But suppose, mother, Pete and I play with the baby, and +we make it so happy that it doesn’t cry?’ answered +little Flossy.</p> +<p>Mrs Franklin gave a short sniff, and said in decidedly an +unbelieving voice, ‘You may try your best, my dear, of +course.’</p> +<p>Then Flossy looked at Peter, and Peter looked back at her, and +they called Snip-snap and went out of the room.</p> +<p>This was the way in which the baby became the children’s +special care; she was immediately thrown upon their <!-- page +15--><a name="page15"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +15</span>tender mercies, they considered themselves answerable +for her good behaviour, and Flossy almost wore herself out in +devising amusements for her. She would toss all her hair +over her face and dance wildly up and down, and contort that same +little, funny, freckled face into all sorts of grimaces; and when +the baby laughed and crowed, and made chirrupy sounds, she was +abundantly satisfied. Peter, too, was most ingenious in +keeping off the fatal sounds of baby’s wailing: he would +blow into a paper bag, and then when the baby had screwed up her +face, and was preparing to let out a whole volley of direful +notes, he would clap his hands violently on the bag and cause it +to explode, thereby absolutely frightening the poor little +creature into smiles.</p> +<p>Peter would sing all kinds of nursery rhymes for the baby, and +walk up and <!-- page 16--><a name="page16"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 16</span>down with it, and even run with it +until his arms ached very badly indeed. But after all, the +one who suffered most in the cause of the baby was +Snip-snap. The patience with which he bore being dressed up +in all kinds of costumes, being made to represent grannie with +her spectacles, and lame John with his crutch, and a soldier in +full-dress uniform, and a sailor with a broken arm, and +everything in the world, in short, except a spirited little dog +with four legs, was truly wonderful. He never did attempt +to bite, and he was only once guilty of barking; but during the +grandmother exhibition he could not help throwing up his head and +giving a prolonged and unearthly howl. But the naughty baby +only laughed quite merrily over the howl, and the two children +begged of Snip-snap to do it again. He never did howl any +more—that was his last despairing protest—in <!-- +page 17--><a name="page17"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +17</span>future he submitted to the baby’s caprices, but +with the air of a broken-hearted dog.</p> +<p>Peter and Flossy had commenced their care of the baby without +any special love for her, but of course they could not long hold +her in their arms, and play with her, and think for her, and +earnestly desire to win her smiles and banish her tears, without +the usual thing happening. The baby stole their little +hearts into her own safe keeping. Notwithstanding his +sufferings she also stole Snip-snap’s heart. After +that the baby was of course mistress of the situation.</p> +<p>The children took care of her by day, and the lodgers knew +nothing about her existence; but at night Martha, the old nurse, +went into her nursery and slept with her, and attended to her +wants. Peter and Flossy having learned the mystery of +amusing the small mite, were <!-- page 18--><a +name="page18"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 18</span>tolerably +happy about her during the daytime, but at night they were +obliged to be parted from her, and in consequence at night they +were full of fears. Martha meant to be kind, but she was +tired, and she often slept soundly, and did not hear the baby +when she awoke and demanded attention.</p> +<p>Flossy became quite a light sleeper herself, and would +sometimes steal into the nursery and try to quiet the baby; so +that, on the whole, for some time, even at night, the lodgers +heard no sound of the new little inmate. But all happy and +worthy things come to an end, and so, alas! did the baby’s +good behaviour. There came a night, about three months +after her arrival, and when she was about six months old, when +baby was very restless, cross, and fidgety, with the cutting of +her first tooth. The children had quite worn themselves out +in <!-- page 19--><a name="page19"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +19</span>her cause in the daytime, and Snip-snap had allowed +himself to be arrayed in all his costumes for her benefit; but +Martha had come to bed as tired and weary as the baby herself, +and in consequence she fell fast asleep, and never heard the +little creature’s cries.</p> +<p>Peter and Flossy heard them at the other side of the wall, and +knowing that they were much louder and more piercing than usual, +they both got up and, hand-in-hand, went to the nursery +door. Snip-snap also followed them, but unwillingly, and +with his tail between his legs. The door on this +unfortunate night was locked, and the children could not get +in. Martha slept on, and the baby screamed on, and +presently poor Peter and Flossy heard Mr Martin get up and ring +his bell violently. Mrs Potts was also heard to open her +room door and come out on the landing, and <!-- page 20--><a +name="page20"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 20</span>sniff in a +very disagreeable way, and go back again. Flossy’s +heart quite beat with terror, and Peter said:</p> +<p>‘It’s all up, Flossy; they’ll all know about +our baby in the morning.’</p> +<p>‘What’ll they do?’ asked Flossy in an +awe-struck voice.</p> +<p>‘I don’t know,’ answered Peter. +‘I daren’t think. Something bad I +’spect.’</p> +<p>Then the two children crept back to their beds, and Flossy +cried herself to sleep.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p20.jpg"> +<img alt="The Sleeping Baby" src="images/p20.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<h2><!-- page 21--><a name="page21"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +21</span>CHAPTER II.</h2> +<p>‘You must answer me this question very decidedly, +ma’am: am I to go, or the baby? Is my night’s +sleep to be again disturbed by the peevish wails of a troublesome +infant? I must know at once, madam, what you intend to +do? Miss Jenkins, over the way, has offered me her front +parlour with the bedroom behind, and her terms are lower than +yours. You have but to say the word, ma’am, and my +bed will be well aired, and the room at Miss Jenkins’s all +comfortable for me to-night. I don’t want you to turn +that infant away, oh dear me! no, but I must decide my own plans; +stay in the house with <!-- page 22--><a name="page22"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 22</span>a baby, and have my sleep broken, I +will not!’</p> +<p>The speaker was Mr Martin. He had come into Mrs +Franklin’s little back parlour and expressed his mind very +freely. The poor woman was standing up and regarding her +best lodger with a puzzled and almost despairing air. She +did not know that Flossy had crept into the room and was hiding +herself behind her chair, and that Flossy’s little face had +grown even more white and despairing than her own.</p> +<p>‘Give me until to-night, sir,’ she said. +‘Mrs Potts has also been in and complaining about the poor +child. She’s an orphan child, and my husband’s +niece, but we are in no way bound to support her. I would +not treat her badly, sir, but there are limits; and, of course, +as you say, your night’s sleep must not be broken. +Rather than that should <!-- page 23--><a name="page23"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 23</span>happen, Mr Martin, I would send the +child to the workhouse, for, of course, she has no legal claim on +us. If you will be so kind, sir, as to give me until +to-morrow morning, I will then let you know what I have decided +to do with the baby, and I faithfully promise that you are not to +be disturbed to-night, sir.’</p> +<p>‘That is all right,’ said Mr Martin, with a +mollified air. ‘Of course it is not to be expected +that an old bachelor such as I am should be worried by an +infant’s screams. The screams of a baby have to me an +appalling sound. Do what you think well with the child, +ma’am, and let me know in the morning; only I may as well +state that I think the workhouse an extreme measure.’</p> +<p>Then Mr Martin left the house. Mrs Franklin followed him +out of the room, and Flossy crept slowly back to the nursery.</p> +<p><!-- page 24--><a name="page24"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +24</span>Mrs Franklin did not notice her little daughter, and +Flossy did not venture to address her mother. She came into +the room where Peter and Snip-snap were doing their utmost for +the baby. Peter had her in his arms, and was walking up and +down with her, and Snip-snap was bounding after a ball and +tossing it into the air for her benefit.</p> +<p>‘She’s to go, Peter,’ said Flossy. +‘I guessed it—I guessed it quite well last +night. She’s to go away to the +workhouse—that’s what mother said; I heard her +telling Mr Martin so.’</p> +<p>‘She’s not!’ said Peter. He turned +very pale, and, still holding the child in his arms, sat down on +the nearest chair.</p> +<p>It is to be doubted whether this poor neglected baby had ever +been christened. The children had given her a name of their +own; they had called her Dickory <!-- page 25--><a +name="page25"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 25</span>Dock. +The reason they had given her this distinctive title was because +the first amusement which had brought a smile to her little face +had been the old play of Dickory Dock and the mouse that ran up +the clock.</p> +<p>‘She said it,’ repeated Flossy, coming up close to +her brother, and fixing her anxious eyes on the baby. +‘She said that our Dickory was to go to the +workhouse.’</p> +<p>‘Well then, she shan’t!’ said Peter. +‘I know nothing about workhouses, but I expect they are +very nasty places, and Dickory shan’t go there!’</p> +<p>Then he sat silent, his arm round the little child, who looked +up at him and then back at Flossy, and then smiled in that +wonderfully pathetic way she had.</p> +<p>‘Look here, Flossy,’ said Peter, ‘if you are +quite certain sure that mother <!-- page 26--><a +name="page26"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 26</span>said the +workhouse, that she didn’t say nothing about Dickory Dock +being put to sleep in another room, or maybe down in the +kitchen—if you are quite positive about the workhouse, +Flossy, why, I know what I’ll do.’</p> +<p>‘She did say the workhouse,’ answered Flossy; +‘I heard her with my own ears, and Mr Martin said it was a +stream measure. I don’t know what he meant by that, +but I do know that mother said the workhouse, and that she has +got till to-morrow morning to take baby away.’</p> +<p>‘No, she hasn’t,’ said Peter; +‘we’ll take her away first, you and me, +Flossy—you and me and Snip-snap—we’ll take our +little baby away, and we’ll hide her. Dickory shall +never go to no workhouse!’</p> +<p>Here Dickory looked up again at Peter, who looked down at her +and <!-- page 27--><a name="page27"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +27</span>kissed her, and two tears splashed from his eyes on her +little face.</p> +<p>‘Oh, what a dear baby she is!’ said Flossy. +‘Yes, Peter, we’ll run away, and we’ll take +Dickory. Where shall we take her to, Peter?’</p> +<p>‘Oh, I don’t know,’ said Peter. +‘We’ll get her out of this, that’s the first +thing. How much money have you got, Flossy?’</p> +<p>‘A crooked halfpenny,’ said Flossy, in a decided +voice.</p> +<p>Peter sighed. He was older than Flossy, and he knew that +a crooked halfpenny did not represent a large capital.</p> +<p>‘I have got sixpence,’ he said; +‘that’ll buy milk for her. We’ll manage +quite well, Floss. When mother goes out with her +market-basket, we’ll slip downstairs with Dickory, and well +take her away, and we’ll hide her somewhere. <!-- +page 28--><a name="page28"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +28</span>She shan’t go to no workhouse, the darling +pet!’</p> +<p>‘No, that she shan’t, the dear!’ said +Flossy. ‘It’s a lovely plan, Peter, and +I’ll just go and watch on the top of the stairs for mother +to go out with the old market-basket.’</p> +<p>‘We’d better take a bag with us,’ said +Peter. ‘The bag will come in very handy; it will hold +baby’s milk when we buy it, and some bread for you and me; +for we may have to walk a long way before we find a nice +hiding-place for Dickory.’</p> +<p>Children seldom take long in carrying out their resolutions, +and Mrs Franklin, puzzled and anxious, and with no real intention +of sending the poor baby to the workhouse, had not long turned +the corner of the street before the hall door of the rambling old +house was eagerly and nervously opened, and a funny little <!-- +page 29--><a name="page29"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +29</span>quartette issued forth. Dickory did not often get +the air, and she enjoyed herself very much, sitting well up in +Peter’s arms, and wrapped up, head and all, in an old +tartan shawl. Flossy, holding the bag, walked by her +brother’s side, and Snip-snap behaved in his usual erratic +fashion, now running before, now lingering behind, now stopping +to exchange a greeting with a fellow-dog, or to sniff with +watering jaws and wistful eyes at a butcher’s shop, but +always returning faithfully to his charge, and always raising an +inquiring face to see if Dickory was quite comfortable. She +was thoroughly so, and when she crowed, and laughed, and +chuckled, Flossy wondered they had never thought of taking her +out before. The sun was shining and the day was bright and +warm, with the promise of spring in it, and the two children were +highly delighted with their <!-- page 30--><a +name="page30"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 30</span>scheme, and +not a bit afraid of the result. The only thing which had at +all alarmed them was the fear that Mrs Franklin or Martha might +find out their little plan before they had time to carry it into +effect.</p> +<p>Having succeeded in getting quite away with the baby, they +considered their difficulties at an end. Peter was old +enough to know that a crooked halfpenny did not mean much, +considered as a provision for three human beings and a dog; but +he was still sufficiently young to have perfect confidence in the +capabilities of sixpence for meeting the demands of the +hour. As they walked along, Flossy, Dickory, and Snip-snap +were all very happy, and Peter too was happy, although his arms +ached sadly. But, alas! the paths of the poor little +adventurers were not to be without thorns.</p> +<p><!-- page 31--><a name="page31"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +31</span>The time was April, and an April shower first damped the +ardour of the travellers—the poor baby’s shawl was +wet through, and she began to cry pitifully with hunger and want +of sleep.</p> +<p>‘She must want her milk,’ said Peter; +‘there, Dickory, there’s a darling, now go to sleep +like the dear baby you are.’</p> +<p>‘You know, Peter, she won’t go to sleep without +her milk,’ said Flossy. ‘I’ll run across +to that milk-shop and buy some. How much milk shall I get, +Peter?’</p> +<p>‘A ha’p’orth,’ said Peter; ‘you +get a ha’p’orth, Flossy, and we’ll sit down on +the step of this empty house and feed the baby, and eat up our +crusts ourselves.’</p> +<p>A bottle to hold the milk was to be found in Flossy’s +bag, and accordingly in a short time Dickory had a meal; not +quite what she was accustomed to, but sufficient to soothe her +off into a slumber in which she forgot the discomfort <!-- page +32--><a name="page32"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 32</span>of +her damp clothes and all her other baby tribulations.</p> +<p>‘Flossy,’ said Peter, ‘we have gone a long +way from home now, and baby is asleep and resting nicely on my +knee; my arm won’t ache a bit when she wakes, and +I’ll be able to carry her a splendid long way. +We’ll have to think of making up our plans, +Floss—we’ll have to find some place where we can all +sleep comfortably to-night.’</p> +<p>‘Well, we’ve got sixpence,’ said Flossy, +‘that’s lots and lots of money; but the night is a +long way off, Peter, and I’m so hungry. I’ve +eaten up all the crusts that you and Snip-snap left for me, but +I’m still as hungry as possible. Mightn’t I +spend a halfpenny or so of our sixpence in getting a good dinner +for you and me and Snip-snap?’</p> +<p>Peter put his hand to his brow, and began to reflect.</p> +<p><!-- page 33--><a name="page33"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +33</span>‘I don’t think so, Floss,’ he said, +‘for I’m afraid you don’t understand +marketing—it’s best for me to go, for I’m quite +old, and I know the way mother talks to the baker’s man and +the milkman when they come to the door. I must be sharp +with them, Floss; that’s what I must be, and I don’t +think you could be; so you had better hold the baby while I fetch +our dinner. Oh dear, what a good thing it is I have got +sixpence!’</p> +<p>The baby, being very sound asleep, was transferred to +Flossy’s arms without waking, Snip-snap was left in charge +of the two, and Peter, who knew very little more of London and +London life than his little sister, started off manfully to the +eating-house round the corner. He had gone away with a +bright face, but he returned in a very short time with one +singularly depressed.</p> +<p>‘Here’s a bit of stale bread for each of <!-- page +34--><a name="page34"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +34</span>us,’ he said, ‘and I had to give two +halfpennies for that. I did see such a nice piece of beef +and of pudding, and I ordered some for you and me and Snip-snap, +but the woman said all that much would cost three sixpences, so +then I had to say I wouldn’t have it; and I took the stale +bread, and she was very cross. O Floss, I hope I’m +right about sixpence; I hope it will buy a bed for baby, and milk +and food for us all, for I’m thinking we had much better +none of us go back to-night.’</p> +<p>‘Of course, we won’t go back,’ said +Flossie. ‘The stale bread’s ’licious, and +I’m so hungry. O Peter, do look! Dickory is +stretching herself, and rubbing her little fat hands into her +eyes; and I know she’s going to wake, and I’m afraid +she’ll cry.’</p> +<p>‘Give her to me,’ said Peter, with the air of a +practised nurse. ‘I’ll hold her, <!-- page +35--><a name="page35"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 35</span>and +you can feed me while I’m doing so, Flossy.’</p> +<p>But notwithstanding all Peter’s efforts, notwithstanding +his singing, and even shouting, for the baby’s benefit, +notwithstanding the admiring cheers of a little street mob that +collected round him, the baby cried, not a loud cry, but a weak, +broken-hearted wail. The fact was, the indifferent milk +Flossy had fed her with had made her ill, and her little frame +was already sadly chilled by the damp shawl which she wore about +her. Poor Dickory scarcely ever got any air or exercise, +and in consequence was very susceptible to cold.</p> +<p>‘She is sneezing,’ said Flossy. ‘Oh +the poor, poor darling! Peter, I think we’d better +see about our night’s lodging soon; it doesn’t agree +with Dickory to keep her out so long.’</p> +<p>‘We’ll go at once,’ said Peter, rising <!-- +page 36--><a name="page36"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +36</span>to his feet. ‘There’s another black +cloud coming up, and there’ll be a shower again before +long. We’ll get a nice room for us four, and then +we’ll be as happy as possible.’</p> +<p>Accordingly the little party again moved forward, and whenever +Peter or Flossy saw a card up in a window they stopped and rang +the house-bell, and inquired for lodgings for themselves and +their baby. Of course, they were repulsed in all kinds of +ways—some people merely laughing, and shutting the door in +their faces; some scolding them, and calling them tiresome, +impertinent little brats; and some even threatening to tell the +police about them; but no one ever hinted at the possibility of +taking them in. Presently they left the more respectable +streets, and wandered into very poor quarters. Here, +doubtless, they could have found accommodation were they <!-- +page 37--><a name="page37"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +37</span>able to pay for it, but everybody laughed at +Peter’s pennies, and no one dreamt of offering them a +shelter. Then the rain which had threatened came down, and +baby was again wet through, and now she looked ill, as well as +fretful, and refused some fresh milk which Flossy bought for +her. She was not the least like the bright little Dickory +who used to laugh and show her dimples in the old attic-nursery +at home.</p> +<p>‘Look here,’ said Peter, ‘what are we to +do? ’T will be night soon, and we haven’t found +no hiding-place for Dickory, and no one will take us +in.’</p> +<p>‘Baby is not at all well, either,’ said Flossy; +‘her head is quite hot, like fire, when I touch +it.’</p> +<p>‘What are we to do?’ asked Peter. ‘We +can’t get home, but it seems to me, Floss, that this is +worse for poor Dickory than the workhouse.’</p> +<p><!-- page 38--><a name="page38"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +38</span>‘I’ll tell you what,’ said Flossy +suddenly, raising her bright half-humorous face to Peter’s, +‘let’s take baby to the lady what cried.’</p> +<p>‘The lady who cried?’ repeated Peter. +‘I don’t know nothing about her, Floss.’</p> +<p>‘O Peter, you do know; it was that day our Uncle David +took us a long walk, and we went to the cemetery with him, you +know, the place with the flowers and the trees, and where they +put the pretty little children when they die—there was a +little baby being put there, and there was a lady crying very, +very bitter. I never saw no one cry so dreadful bitter as +that lady, and they said she was putting her baby in the +ground. I’m sure she must want another baby, and I +think perhaps it would be right for us to give her +Dickory.’</p> +<p>Peter’s face became very sad. ‘I don’t +know,’ he said; ‘I don’t want to give <!-- page +39--><a name="page39"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +39</span>Dickory away. I’m quite dreadfully fond of +her; it seems to me she makes a lot of difference in the house, +and you know, Floss, it used to be very dull before she +came.’</p> +<p>‘Yes,’ said Flossy, ‘I love her more than +anything; she’s a dear baby, and I never find the days long +when I’m playing with her and talking to her: but you see, +Peter, she’s not to be kept at home; she’s to go to +the workhouse to-morrow morning, unless we can find a nice +hiding-place for her. We can’t find a hiding-place, +Peter, for though you are a rich boy and have got a lot of +pennies, yet you haven’t enough for us to get a room for +ourselves and Dickory, and the night air don’t agree with +her—oh, there, she’s sneezing again—bless her, +the pet! Peter, I hope you always say “bless +her!” when Dickory sneezes. Martha says it +isn’t lucky if you don’t. O Peter, I do <!-- +page 40--><a name="page40"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +40</span>think if we must part with the baby it would be better +to give her to the lady who cried than to send her to the +workhouse.’</p> +<p>‘But we don’t know where the lady lives,’ +said Peter. ‘We might do it if we knew where the lady +lived; but we can’t, however much we wish to, if we +don’t.’</p> +<p>‘But I do know,’ answered Flossy, ‘I know +quite well, ‘cause last week I saw the lady. I was +out with mother, and mother went to the greengrocer’s, and +while she was there the lady comed in. She was all in +black, and I am sure she had been crying a lot, for she looked so +sad; and I knew it was her. Afterwards mother and I walked +behind her as she went home, and she turned into a great big +house in the square near us. You know the square, Peter, +the square that begins with a big B; Bev--- something, I +can’t say it all.’</p> +<p><!-- page 41--><a name="page41"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +41</span>‘Bevington Square,’ said Peter, in a gloomy +voice.</p> +<p>‘Yes, yes, that was it, and 10 was the number of the +house. I don’t forget the number ’cause I asked +mother, and she said it was 10. O Peter, that’s where +our lady lives, and I do think it would be better to give her +Dickory. There, Peter, bless her! she’s sneezing +again. I’m sure we had better take her to the +lady.’</p> +<p>‘All right,’ answered Peter, ‘I’ll be +a termagant again when she’s gone; see if I +won’t. I’ll get up an awful racking cough at +night, and I’ll worry that nasty Mr Martin much more than +Dickory has worried him, see if I don’t; and I’ll +sing on the stairs, and I’ll whistle awful loud, and +I’ll buy a Jew’s-harp with one of my pennies. +I’ll turn into a horrid boy! but I suppose you are right +about Dickory, Flossy. Here, let’s go back as fast as +<!-- page 42--><a name="page42"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +42</span>we can to that house you were so ’cute as to take +the number of. I’m mis’rible, and I mean to be +mis’rible, so don’t you expect nothing cheerful from +me, Flossy.’</p> +<p>‘Very well, Peter,’ said Flossy meekly.</p> +<p>And then the little party, slowly and painfully, for Flossy +was very, very tired, and poor Peter’s arms ached +fearfully, retraced their steps. The baby had ceased crying +and was asleep, and after about two hours’ patient walking +and asking their way, the children found themselves in Bevington +Square.</p> +<p>‘I’d better go up first to the door,’ said +Flossy, ‘and ask her if she’d like a baby. You +might stand round there, Peter, and you might keep Snip-snap with +you.’</p> +<p>‘You needn’t press her about it,’ said +Peter; ‘if she don’t seem quite delighted we +won’t give up Dickory on no account; and kiss her before +you go, Flossy, for <!-- page 43--><a name="page43"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 43</span>of course the lady will take her; and +in a few minutes she won’t be our Dickory no +more.’</p> +<p>Peter unfastened a corner of the old tartan shawl, and Flossy +imprinted a grave kiss on the baby’s forehead. Then, +with great solemnity, and with the air of one engaged on an +important mission, she went up the steps of the great house and +rang the bell. Flossy was an attractive little child, her +hair was really beautiful, and she had a very wistful and taking +manner.</p> +<p>‘Please,’ she said now to the tall, powdered +footman, ‘I know the lady what cried is here; please can I +see her? I’ve brought her a little baby, and I want +to see her about it.’</p> +<p>Flossy did not look quite like a common child, and her face +wore a very sweet expression when she spoke of the baby; +nevertheless the footman only stared <!-- page 44--><a +name="page44"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 44</span>at her, and +would have certainly shut the door in her face, had not the lady +of the house at that moment come into the hall. Flossy saw +her, and quick as thought she darted past the servant and up to +the lady.</p> +<p>‘Please, lady,’ she said, ‘I’ve often +thought of you, and I’m so very sorry for you. +Please, I’ve brought you another little baby instead of the +one you put into the ground in the pretty place where the flowers +and trees are. She’s a dear little baby, and when you +have her you won’t cry no more.’</p> +<p>Flossy’s voice was very earnest, and her eyes looking up +full into the lady’s face were full of the most intense +sympathy. Those pretty eyes of hers were too much for the +poor bereaved mother: she put her handkerchief to her own eyes, +and there and then burst into fits of fresh weeping.</p> +<p><!-- page 45--><a name="page45"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +45</span>‘Come away, little girl, at once,’ said the +indignant footman; but the lady put out one of her hands and took +Flossy’s.</p> +<p>‘Leave the child with me,’ she said to the +man. ‘I’ll be better in a moment, little +girl,’ she continued, ‘and then you shall tell me +what you mean; but you have upset me talking about babies: it is +not long since I buried my child, my only child.’</p> +<p>‘I saw you,’ said Flossy, nodding her bright +head. ‘I was in the cemetery and I saw you. Oh, +didn’t you cry bitter! but you needn’t cry no more +now, for God has sent you another little baby.’</p> +<p>‘No, my little girl,’ said the lady, ‘He has +not. I have asked Him, but it is not His will.’</p> +<p>‘I guessed you’d want another baby,’ said +Flossy. ‘I knew quite well you would, and she’s +waiting for you round the corner with Peter and Snip-snap. +<!-- page 46--><a name="page46"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +46</span>You put on your bonnet and come and look at her; +she’s a real beauty; she’s got a dimple, and her name +is Dickory.’</p> +<p>‘I’ll come,’ said the lady in an excited +voice. ‘It’s the very strangest thing I ever +heard. A child coming to me like that. We’ll +slip out, little girl. James need not open the door for +us.’</p> +<p>Flossy wondered who James was.</p> +<p>‘Give me your hand, little girl,’ continued the +lady. ‘And take me to the baby; I’ll look at +her anyhow.’</p> +<p>Peter was standing in a very sulky attitude at the corner +where the railings were. In his heart of hearts he was +extremely anxious that Flossy’s mission should fail. +It seemed to him that every bit of the niceness, all the interest +would go out of his life if he hadn’t Dickory. In +some ways he considered that Dickory was more to him than she was +to Flossy. He wondered how Flossy could even talk <!-- page +47--><a name="page47"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 47</span>of +parting with her. He hoped sincerely she would fail in +winning the lady’s pity.</p> +<p>But no, there they were both coming to meet him, the tall lady +in deep black, and little eager wistful Flossy.</p> +<p>‘This is the lady what cried,’ she said to +Peter. ‘She have come out to see our baby. Show +her our baby, Peter.’</p> +<p>In solemn gloomy silence Peter unfolded a morsel of the tartan +shawl which covered the baby’s face.</p> +<p>‘Let me have her in my arms, please,’ said the +lady.</p> +<p>She took the baby tenderly, peeped once again at its small wee +face, felt a sudden glow coming back into empty arms and more +empty heart, and then turned again to the children.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p47b.jpg"> +<img alt="She took the baby tenderly" src="images/p47s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>‘I must be mad to do such a thing,’ she +said. ‘Two little waifs in the street come and offer +me a baby, and I don’t refuse it! There, baby,’ +for Dickory <!-- page 48--><a name="page48"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 48</span>began to cry again, ‘there, +baby—hush, sweet—hush, dear little baby, +hush.’</p> +<p>This lady’s voice had quite a new tone for Dickory, a +sweeter tone even than Peter’s or Flossy’s. She +stopped crying at once.</p> +<p>‘Our baby takes to you, ma’am,’ said Flossy, +in a voice of thrilling interest.</p> +<p>Peter, very pale, and still silent, drew a step nearer.</p> +<p>‘Well, children,’ said the lady, ‘I have +made up my mind. I’ll take this baby home for the +night. My husband will think me mad—anyone in their +senses would think me mad, but I’m nearly wild with +mother-hunger, and that little mite there,’ pointing to +Flossy, ‘guessed it, and she brought me the baby, and I say +God bless her for it, whether she’s a ragamuffin or +not. Yes, I have made up my mind. I shall take the +baby home for to-night at least. In the <!-- page 49--><a +name="page49"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 49</span>morning I +shall make inquiries, but for to-night the baby is +mine.’</p> +<p>‘Half milk, half water in her bottle,’ said Peter +in a very grave reproachful voice. ‘Half milk, half +water, and a little sugar, and a pinch of salt, and Dickory likes +her feet kept werry warm. Come home, Flossy.’</p> +<p>‘And we are not ragamuffins, please lady,’ said +Flossy. ‘Our name is Franklin, and we live in 24 +Montfiore Square. We lets lodgings, please lady, and it was +Mr Martin what turned so crusty about baby.’</p> +<p>‘Tell your mother I will come and see her +to-morrow,’ said the lady. ‘You have a mother, +I suppose?’</p> +<p>‘Yes, oh yes. She wanted to send the baby to the +workhouse.’</p> +<p>‘I don’t think that will be necessary. My +name is Ross. Tell your mother to expect me +to-morrow.’</p> +<h2><!-- page 50--><a name="page50"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +50</span>CHAPTER III.</h2> +<p>It is one thing to feel very angry about a baby, and another +to wish that helpless little atom of humanity positive ill. +Mr Martin was an old bachelor, and even mothers could scarcely +blame him for objecting to having his first sweet sleep disturbed +by the wailings of a child who was cutting its teeth. Mr +Martin meant what he said when he proposed to change +lodgings.</p> +<p>‘Some one else can have my present room,’ he +remarked. ‘It would be preposterous to send that +infant to the workhouse. A less sensitive person than I am +can occupy my present parlour and bedroom; comfortable rooms, +too.’ He sighed as he went out.</p> +<p><!-- page 51--><a name="page51"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +51</span>He was a man who disliked change, and he felt that he +had been treated badly. Mrs Franklin had no right to bring +a wailing niece of a few weeks old into the house where he lived, +and it was unfair and inconsiderate. Well, there was no +help for it; the baby had come and could not be displaced, and +now there was nothing for it but for him to engage the rooms +opposite, which were certainly not nearly so nice, nor so much to +his taste. He had promised Mrs Franklin that he would give +her a short time to consider, but in his heart of hearts he was +quite certain that he must take the detested step.</p> +<p>Mr Martin was a retired merchant. He had plenty of +money, and his working days were over. He generally went to +his club in the morning, and he always returned about one +o’clock in the day to a comfortable mid-day repast. +Always <!-- page 52--><a name="page52"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 52</span>sharp as the clock struck one, Martha +placed upon Mr Martin’s board a smoking steak done to +perfection. He had the same lunch every day—he drank +a glass of ale with his steak. He required this simple meal +to be served with regularity. He insisted that his steak +should always be tender and properly cooked—that was +all—he would not have stayed a week in any lodgings where +the landlady could not provide him with his steak and glass of +beer as he liked them, sharp at one o’clock.</p> +<p>To-day he returned as usual, sighing a little as he entered +the square.</p> +<p>What a troublesome baby that was! What a nuisance it +would be to move! He doubted very much if the people +opposite knew how to cook steak. He let himself into the +house with his latchkey, hung up his coat and hat in the +hall—he was a most methodical old gentleman—<!-- page +53--><a name="page53"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 53</span>and +turned into his parlour. He expected the usual scene to +meet his eyes, the fire burning brightly, a snowy cloth on the +table, and Martha in the act of placing an appetising covered +dish on the board. This homely and domestic scene, however, +was not destined to meet him to-day. The fire in the grate +was out, there were no preparations for lunch on the table, and +taking up the greater part of the light from one of the windows +might have been seen the portly form of Mrs Potts.</p> +<p>Mrs Potts was the drawing-room lodger, and Mr Martin both +dreaded and detested her. He shrank back a step or +two. What was she doing in his room? The absence of +lunch was bad enough, but this unexpected and undesired company +was insult on injury.</p> +<p>Mr Martin bowed, cleared his throat, and prepared to make an +elaborate <!-- page 54--><a name="page54"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 54</span>speech. Mrs Potts interrupted +him fiercely.</p> +<p>‘My good sir, this is no time for ceremony—the +wailing infant up-stairs and the two children of the house have +been stolen since the morning. Mrs Franklin is almost out +of her mind with grief, and suspicion points to you.’</p> +<p>‘Good gracious, madam, what <i>do</i> you mean?’ +said poor Mr Martin in a limp voice. He sank down on the +nearest chair, spreading out his hands on his knees. +‘What do you mean?’ he continued. ‘The +children stolen! Who stole them?’</p> +<p>‘Perhaps <i>you</i> can answer that question. Who +was it made such an indecent fuss this morning because a poor +fatherless and motherless babe cried? Who threatened to +leave if that same poor babe wasn’t sent to the +workhouse? Answer me that, Mr Martin, and then tell me <!-- +page 55--><a name="page55"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +55</span>if you know nothing of the fate of the hapless +innocents.’</p> +<p>Mr Martin looked cautiously round at the door, which was +slightly ajar. He got up softly and shut it. Then he +advanced gently across the room and came up close to Mrs +Potts.</p> +<p>‘Answer <i>me</i> this,’ he said. ‘Did +you like it, yourself?’</p> +<p>‘Did I like what? Good gracious, the man frightens +me.’</p> +<p>‘Did you like the wailing sounds of the fatherless and +motherless baby? You were nearer to it than I was. If +you heard it last night, and felt all the pity you now express, +you had a good opportunity of putting it to the test by going +up-stairs and lulling the unfortunate babe to rest. A +woman’s mission, too, I have always understood.’</p> +<p>Mrs Potts turned scarlet.</p> +<p>‘I! I do what you describe!’ she <!-- page +56--><a name="page56"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +56</span>said. ‘You forget yourself, Mr +Martin.’</p> +<p>‘I fail to see that I do, Mrs Potts. It strikes me +that it is rather the other way. Perhaps you will do me the +kindness to let me have my room in peace.’</p> +<p>Mrs Potts made a sweeping curtsey and vanished, and Mr Martin +stood for some time in his deserted parlour feeling far more +uncomfortable than he liked to confess. He was methodical +and fussy, but he was by no means an ill-natured man. He +thought Mrs Potts most impertinent, but her news distressed +him. After reflecting for a few moments, he went across to +the fireplace, and pulled his bell sharply. After a short +pause the kitchen slavey answered his summons: her eyes were red +with weeping, and her nose very smutty. Mr Martin hated +dirty servants. He turned his back to her as he spoke.</p> +<p><!-- page 57--><a name="page57"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +57</span>‘Jane, is your mistress in?’</p> +<p>‘Yes, sir. Please sir, we’re all distraught +with grief. You have heard of +the—the—’</p> +<p>‘I have heard of the calamity, through Mrs Potts. +Can I speak to your mistress?’</p> +<p>‘I’ll inquire, please sir. Missus is having +her fourth hysteric fit just now.’</p> +<p>‘Then I beg’—Mr Martin’s face grew +quite white—‘I beg you won’t disturb her until +she is equal to seeing me.’ (‘How awful if the +fifth comes on in this room,’ he mentally thought. +‘I’ve a good mind to tell her not to disturb +herself.’)</p> +<p>But Jane had vanished.</p> +<p>In about a quarter of an hour Mrs Franklin appeared. She +was pale, but her grief was temperate.</p> +<p>‘Yes,’ she said, ‘I am in very great +distress. The children, Peter and Flossy, <!-- page 58--><a +name="page58"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 58</span>have +evidently run away with that poor baby. Flossy was in the +room when you spoke to me this morning, Mr Martin, and she must +have taken fright at your words. The children took the +opportunity to leave the house when I was out marketing. +Your steak is being cooked, Mr Martin. I must apologise for +the delay.’</p> +<p>‘Madam, I beg you won’t mention it. I am +deeply grieved that this should have happened, and that I am the +cause. I am more grieved than I can possibly express. +I would rather lie awake all night listening to those yells of +that miserable infant than that this—this—should have +happened. The alarm, the upsetting of the household +routine, the inroad into my sanctum of that awful +female—h’m—of your drawing-room +lodger—and last but not least, the danger to three innocent +human creatures. I <!-- page 59--><a +name="page59"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 59</span>am +overpowered with remorse at the sorry part I have played +myself.’</p> +<p>‘Don’t mention it, Mr Martin. I always said +there’d be trouble when the baby was brought. It +can’t be helped now. Of course we must keep it, but +I’m sorry to lose a valuable and considerate lodger like +yourself, sir.’</p> +<p>‘H’m! Are any steps being taken to recover +the children?’</p> +<p>‘My husband has gone to the nearest police-station, +sir. Poor mites, and Flossy’s not so strong in her +chest. They’re safe to be back by to-night, Mr +Martin. And perhaps you’d like some one to help you +with your packing, sir?’</p> +<p>‘H’m! I’ll consider it,’ said Mr +Martin. ‘I’m—I’m not such a young +man as I was, Mrs Franklin.’</p> +<p>‘Oh, I’m sure, sir. Well, we’re none +of us that, are we? I should take you, <!-- page 60--><a +name="page60"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 60</span>sir, begging +your pardon, to be but a very little way on the wrong side of +forty.’</p> +<p>Mr Martin chuckled, and then grew grave.</p> +<p>‘On the wrong side of sixty,’ he said. +‘Now, now, no humbugging, I beg.’</p> +<p>‘Well, sir, about the packing. My head is all in a +muddle, it is true, but any help that I can +give’—</p> +<p>‘What do you say to a baize door?’ replied Mr +Martin, rather irrelevantly.</p> +<p>‘I—I beg your pardon, sir?’</p> +<p>‘And a very thick curtain inside my room door? It +is true I have heard it remarked that the wails of an infant when +teething will penetrate through any obstacles. Still, a +baize door inside your nursery door, and thick curtains inside +mine would soften the disturbance—yes, would soften +it. I was going to say that I would provide +them.’</p> +<p><!-- page 61--><a name="page61"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +61</span>‘Then you will stay after all, sir?’</p> +<p>‘Well, well, do you agree with me? do you think my plan +will make matters easier?’</p> +<p>‘Oh, won’t they just!’ said Mrs Franklin, +tears now brimming over in her eyes. ‘You’re a +good man, Mr Martin, and God will bless you, sir.’</p> +<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p> +<p>‘Mother,’ said Flossy, when at last she got home, +‘it’s all right about Dickory. We took her to +the lady what cried.’</p> +<p>Mrs Franklin had Flossy in her arms when she made this +remark. Now she pressed her close with one arm, and with +the other drew Peter to her side.</p> +<p>‘Tell me the whole story, my darlings,’ she +said.</p> +<p>Which they did, Mr Martin himself coming into the kitchen and +listening to them.</p> +<p><!-- page 62--><a name="page62"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +62</span>‘Why, I know Mrs Ross,’ he said +suddenly. ‘It’s a splendid chance for the +infant, a splendid chance. Miles better than a baize door +and thick curtains. Only you won’t forget that I made +you the offer, Mrs Franklin?’</p> +<p>‘No, sir. I’m never likely to forget +that.’</p> +<p>‘It’s a splendid chance,’ repeated Mr +Martin. ‘The Rosses are wealthy, and she’s just +that eccentric, generous, impulsive creature who would be sure to +take to a child brought to her so. I consider you a very +clever little girl, Flossy Franklin.’</p> +<p>But Peter put his head down upon the table, and began to cry, +for his heart was very sore for Dickory.</p> +<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p> +<p>However, in the end even Peter was comforted. When next +the children saw Dickory she was beautifully dressed, she <!-- +page 63--><a name="page63"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +63</span>had a grand nurse all to herself, and two splendid +nurseries entirely at her own disposal. The grand nurse +said that she was a most refined baby, that she must have very +good blood in her veins, for she had such a ‘haristocratic +way.’</p> +<p>The grand nurse felt rather inclined to look down upon Peter +and Flossy Franklin, but not so Dickory herself. Out went +her baby arms, dimples came into her baby face, and with a crow +of rapture she nestled up into Peter’s embrace.</p> +<p>‘Eh, but she’s a ’cute young +’un,’ he said with his slow smile.</p> +<p>And somehow after that he was comforted. He felt that it +would have been wrong of him to stand in the way of such a +brilliant lot for his darling.</p> +<p>Flossy and he went back to the attic, which was no longer at +all a cheerful apartment. They did not, however, spend <!-- +page 64--><a name="page64"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +64</span>so much of their time there as formerly, for Mr Martin +had taken a fancy to the children, and they often now spent their +evenings with him.</p> +<p>On these occasions he was often seen to regard them both with +a puzzled look on his somewhat testy but still kind-hearted +face.</p> +<p>‘<i>The</i> cleverest little girl in the world,’ +he would say, signifying Flossy by a motion of his hand. +‘For it is my private belief that even curtains and a baize +door would not have softened the piercing sound. Yes, +Flossy got me out of my dilemma in a wonderful way.’</p> +<p style="text-align: center">THE END.</p> +<p style="text-align: center">Edinburgh:<br /> +Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited.</p> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DICKORY DOCK***</p> +<pre> + + +***** This file should be named 21942-h.htm or 21942-h.zip****** + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/1/9/4/21942 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. 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T. Meade + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Dickory Dock + + +Author: L. T. Meade + + + +Release Date: June 26, 2007 [eBook #21942] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DICKORY DOCK*** + + + + +Transcribed from the [1890] W. & R. Chambers edition, by David Price, +email ccx074@pglaf.org + +{Book cover: cover.jpg} + + + + + +DICKORY DOCK + + +BY +L. T. MEADE + +AUTHOR OF +'SCAMP AND I,' 'DADDY'S BOY,' 'A WORLD OF GIRLS,' +'POOR MISS CAROLINA,' &C. + +W. & R. CHAMBERS, LIMITED +LONDON AND EDINBURGH + +Edinburgh: +Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + +Of course there was a baby in the case--a baby and mongrel dog, and a +little boy and girl. They baby was small, and not particularly fair, but +it had round limbs and a dimple or two, and a soft, half-pathetic, half- +doggy look in its blue eyes, and the usual knack, which most helpless +little babies have, of twining itself round the hearts of those who took +care of it. + +The caretakers of this baby were the two children and the dog. Of course +a woman, who went by the name of nurse, did duty somewhere in the +background; she washed the baby and dressed it in the morning, and she +undressed it at night, and she prepared food for it; but the caretakers +who called up smiles to the little white face, who caused the baby to +show that enticing little dimple which it had in one of its cheeks, who +made that strange, sweet, half-pathetic, half-humorous look come into its +eyes, were the children and the dog. The baby had a sad history; it had +entered the world with sorrow. Its mother had died at its birth, and the +little wee orphan creature had been brought away almost directly to an +uncle's house. + +'We must do it, wife,' said Mr Franklin; 'there's poor John died two +months back, and now there's his widow following him, poor creature, and +no one to look after that wee mite of a babe. We must have it here, it's +our plain duty, and I don't suppose one extra mouth to feed can make much +difference.' + +'That's all you men know,' replied Mrs Franklin, who was a very tall, +thin, fretful-looking woman. 'No difference indeed! A baby make no +difference! And who's to tend on the lodgers, and bring in the grist to +the mill, if all my time, day and night, is taken up minding the baby!' + +'Well, well,' said Mr Franklin. He was as peaceable as his wife was the +reverse. He did not want the baby, but neither did he wish to send poor +John's child to the workhouse. + +'You must make the best of it, wife,' he said. 'Martha'll help you, and +I daresay Peter and Flossy will take a turn in looking after the young +'un.' + +Mrs Franklin said no more; she went up-stairs, and got a certain disused +attic into some sort of order. The attic was far away from the rest of +the house; it was the top story of a wing, which had been added on to the +tall, ramshackle old house. In some of the rooms underneath, the +Franklin family themselves slept; in others they lived, and in others +they cooked. The rest of the house, therefore, was free for the +accommodation of lodgers. + +Mrs Franklin earned the family bread by taking in lodgers. She was far +more active than her husband, who had a very small clerkship in the city; +without her aid the children, Peter and Flossy, could scarcely have +lived, but by dint of toiling from morning to night, of saving every +penny, of turning and re-turning worn-out clothes, and scrubbing and +cooking and brushing and cleaning, Mrs Franklin contrived to make two +ends meet. Her lodgers said that the rooms they occupied were clean and +neat, that their food was well cooked, and above all things that the +house was quiet. Therefore they stayed on; year after year the same +people lived in the parlours, and occupied the genteel drawing-room +floor; and hard as her lot was, Mrs Franklin considered herself a lucky +woman, and her neighbours often envied her. + +The house where the Franklins lived was in one of those remote old-world +half-forgotten squares which are to be found at the back of Bloomsbury. +In their day these squares had seen fashion and life, but the gay world +had long, long ago passed them by and forgotten them, and in consequence, +although the houses were large and commodious, the rents were low. + +Things had gone fairly well with the Franklins since they took the old +house--that is, things had gone fairly well until the arrival of the +baby--but, as Mrs Franklin said to her husband, no baby could come into +any house without making a sight of difference. She had only two +servants to help her in all her heavy work, and how could either she or +they devote much time to nursing and tending a little new-born child? + +The baby, however, arrived. It was sent up at once to the nursery which +was hastily prepared for it. Flossy, aged six, and Peter, who was +between eight and nine, followed it up-stairs, and watched it with +profound and breathless interest, while Martha, the most trustworthy of +the servants, undressed it, and fed it, and put it to sleep. + +'It's a perfect duck,' said Flossy. 'Look at its wee little face, and +isn't its skin soft! Might we kiss it, Martha? Would it break it, or +anything, if we was to kiss it very soft and tender like?' + +'It ain't a doll, child,' said Martha. 'It won't break with you loving +of it. Kiss it, Flossy--babes is meant for kissing of.' + +The children bent down, and printed a tender salute on the wee baby's +face, and that night they scarcely slept themselves for fear of +disturbing it. + +'I hope we'll be allowed to take care of the wee baby,' whispered Flossy +to her brother. 'I think we could do it werry nice; don't you, Peter?' + +'Yes,' replied Peter. 'It would be something to amuse us; it's rather +dull, you know, always having to keep quiet on account of the lodgers.' + +Peter and Flossy soon found they were to have their wish. Martha could +only spare a very short time to attending to the baby's wants, and the +poor little mite would have had a very unhappy and neglected life but for +the children. + +As it happened, however, the wee white baby had not a dull life of it at +all; when its teeth were not troubling it, and when it was not very +hungry, it had quite a merry time. It was devoted to the children, and +even when it was sending forth its wail for more food and some real +mother's love, it would stop crying and give a clear hearty little laugh +if Flossy shook her head of tangled red-brown hair in front of it, or if +Snip-snap, the mongrel terrier, stood on his hind-legs and begged to it. + +Peter and Flossy had been rather troublesome children before the arrival +of the baby. Mrs Franklin's lodgers were fond of calling them 'little +termagants,' and liked exceedingly to hint to the mother that if the +termagants did not make themselves scarce they would be obliged to seek +other quarters. Poor Mrs Franklin was always extremely frightened when +these things were said, for she knew the rent, and to a certain extent +the daily bread of the children, depended on the lodgers. When she +learned that the baby must inevitably come to them, she laid one very +solemn command upon her household. + +'On no account whatever let out to Mrs Sinclair, and Mrs Potts, and Mr +Martin that there is a baby in the house. If you do, go they will, and +nothing that I can possibly say will keep them. I'm terribly frightened +to think how the baby's existence can be kept from them, but if they know +it, most certainly go they will.' + +'Mother,' said Flossy, who was rather afraid of her mother, and did not +often put a direct question to her, 'if the baby stays up in the old, old +attic-nursery, and if Pete and me and Snip can play with it and it never +cries, then Mrs Potts and Mr Martin needn't know nothing about it, need +they, mother?' + +'If it never cries, Flossy, they need not know about it,' answered Mrs +Franklin; 'but whoever yet heard of a baby not crying? Of course it will +cry all day and all night. I know it will be the ruin of us, and I think +it was very unkind of your father to allow it to be brought here.' + +'But suppose, mother, Pete and I play with the baby, and we make it so +happy that it doesn't cry?' answered little Flossy. + +Mrs Franklin gave a short sniff, and said in decidedly an unbelieving +voice, 'You may try your best, my dear, of course.' + +Then Flossy looked at Peter, and Peter looked back at her, and they +called Snip-snap and went out of the room. + +This was the way in which the baby became the children's special care; +she was immediately thrown upon their tender mercies, they considered +themselves answerable for her good behaviour, and Flossy almost wore +herself out in devising amusements for her. She would toss all her hair +over her face and dance wildly up and down, and contort that same little, +funny, freckled face into all sorts of grimaces; and when the baby +laughed and crowed, and made chirrupy sounds, she was abundantly +satisfied. Peter, too, was most ingenious in keeping off the fatal +sounds of baby's wailing: he would blow into a paper bag, and then when +the baby had screwed up her face, and was preparing to let out a whole +volley of direful notes, he would clap his hands violently on the bag and +cause it to explode, thereby absolutely frightening the poor little +creature into smiles. + +Peter would sing all kinds of nursery rhymes for the baby, and walk up +and down with it, and even run with it until his arms ached very badly +indeed. But after all, the one who suffered most in the cause of the +baby was Snip-snap. The patience with which he bore being dressed up in +all kinds of costumes, being made to represent grannie with her +spectacles, and lame John with his crutch, and a soldier in full-dress +uniform, and a sailor with a broken arm, and everything in the world, in +short, except a spirited little dog with four legs, was truly wonderful. +He never did attempt to bite, and he was only once guilty of barking; but +during the grandmother exhibition he could not help throwing up his head +and giving a prolonged and unearthly howl. But the naughty baby only +laughed quite merrily over the howl, and the two children begged of Snip- +snap to do it again. He never did howl any more--that was his last +despairing protest--in future he submitted to the baby's caprices, but +with the air of a broken-hearted dog. + +Peter and Flossy had commenced their care of the baby without any special +love for her, but of course they could not long hold her in their arms, +and play with her, and think for her, and earnestly desire to win her +smiles and banish her tears, without the usual thing happening. The baby +stole their little hearts into her own safe keeping. Notwithstanding his +sufferings she also stole Snip-snap's heart. After that the baby was of +course mistress of the situation. + +The children took care of her by day, and the lodgers knew nothing about +her existence; but at night Martha, the old nurse, went into her nursery +and slept with her, and attended to her wants. Peter and Flossy having +learned the mystery of amusing the small mite, were tolerably happy about +her during the daytime, but at night they were obliged to be parted from +her, and in consequence at night they were full of fears. Martha meant +to be kind, but she was tired, and she often slept soundly, and did not +hear the baby when she awoke and demanded attention. + +Flossy became quite a light sleeper herself, and would sometimes steal +into the nursery and try to quiet the baby; so that, on the whole, for +some time, even at night, the lodgers heard no sound of the new little +inmate. But all happy and worthy things come to an end, and so, alas! +did the baby's good behaviour. There came a night, about three months +after her arrival, and when she was about six months old, when baby was +very restless, cross, and fidgety, with the cutting of her first tooth. +The children had quite worn themselves out in her cause in the daytime, +and Snip-snap had allowed himself to be arrayed in all his costumes for +her benefit; but Martha had come to bed as tired and weary as the baby +herself, and in consequence she fell fast asleep, and never heard the +little creature's cries. + +Peter and Flossy heard them at the other side of the wall, and knowing +that they were much louder and more piercing than usual, they both got up +and, hand-in-hand, went to the nursery door. Snip-snap also followed +them, but unwillingly, and with his tail between his legs. The door on +this unfortunate night was locked, and the children could not get in. +Martha slept on, and the baby screamed on, and presently poor Peter and +Flossy heard Mr Martin get up and ring his bell violently. Mrs Potts was +also heard to open her room door and come out on the landing, and sniff +in a very disagreeable way, and go back again. Flossy's heart quite beat +with terror, and Peter said: + +'It's all up, Flossy; they'll all know about our baby in the morning.' + +'What'll they do?' asked Flossy in an awe-struck voice. + +'I don't know,' answered Peter. 'I daren't think. Something bad I +'spect.' + +Then the two children crept back to their beds, and Flossy cried herself +to sleep. + +{The Sleeping Baby: p20.jpg} + + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +'You must answer me this question very decidedly, ma'am: am I to go, or +the baby? Is my night's sleep to be again disturbed by the peevish wails +of a troublesome infant? I must know at once, madam, what you intend to +do? Miss Jenkins, over the way, has offered me her front parlour with +the bedroom behind, and her terms are lower than yours. You have but to +say the word, ma'am, and my bed will be well aired, and the room at Miss +Jenkins's all comfortable for me to-night. I don't want you to turn that +infant away, oh dear me! no, but I must decide my own plans; stay in the +house with a baby, and have my sleep broken, I will not!' + +The speaker was Mr Martin. He had come into Mrs Franklin's little back +parlour and expressed his mind very freely. The poor woman was standing +up and regarding her best lodger with a puzzled and almost despairing +air. She did not know that Flossy had crept into the room and was hiding +herself behind her chair, and that Flossy's little face had grown even +more white and despairing than her own. + +'Give me until to-night, sir,' she said. 'Mrs Potts has also been in and +complaining about the poor child. She's an orphan child, and my +husband's niece, but we are in no way bound to support her. I would not +treat her badly, sir, but there are limits; and, of course, as you say, +your night's sleep must not be broken. Rather than that should happen, +Mr Martin, I would send the child to the workhouse, for, of course, she +has no legal claim on us. If you will be so kind, sir, as to give me +until to-morrow morning, I will then let you know what I have decided to +do with the baby, and I faithfully promise that you are not to be +disturbed to-night, sir.' + +'That is all right,' said Mr Martin, with a mollified air. 'Of course it +is not to be expected that an old bachelor such as I am should be worried +by an infant's screams. The screams of a baby have to me an appalling +sound. Do what you think well with the child, ma'am, and let me know in +the morning; only I may as well state that I think the workhouse an +extreme measure.' + +Then Mr Martin left the house. Mrs Franklin followed him out of the +room, and Flossy crept slowly back to the nursery. + +Mrs Franklin did not notice her little daughter, and Flossy did not +venture to address her mother. She came into the room where Peter and +Snip-snap were doing their utmost for the baby. Peter had her in his +arms, and was walking up and down with her, and Snip-snap was bounding +after a ball and tossing it into the air for her benefit. + +'She's to go, Peter,' said Flossy. 'I guessed it--I guessed it quite +well last night. She's to go away to the workhouse--that's what mother +said; I heard her telling Mr Martin so.' + +'She's not!' said Peter. He turned very pale, and, still holding the +child in his arms, sat down on the nearest chair. + +It is to be doubted whether this poor neglected baby had ever been +christened. The children had given her a name of their own; they had +called her Dickory Dock. The reason they had given her this distinctive +title was because the first amusement which had brought a smile to her +little face had been the old play of Dickory Dock and the mouse that ran +up the clock. + +'She said it,' repeated Flossy, coming up close to her brother, and +fixing her anxious eyes on the baby. 'She said that our Dickory was to +go to the workhouse.' + +'Well then, she shan't!' said Peter. 'I know nothing about workhouses, +but I expect they are very nasty places, and Dickory shan't go there!' + +Then he sat silent, his arm round the little child, who looked up at him +and then back at Flossy, and then smiled in that wonderfully pathetic way +she had. + +'Look here, Flossy,' said Peter, 'if you are quite certain sure that +mother said the workhouse, that she didn't say nothing about Dickory Dock +being put to sleep in another room, or maybe down in the kitchen--if you +are quite positive about the workhouse, Flossy, why, I know what I'll +do.' + +'She did say the workhouse,' answered Flossy; 'I heard her with my own +ears, and Mr Martin said it was a stream measure. I don't know what he +meant by that, but I do know that mother said the workhouse, and that she +has got till to-morrow morning to take baby away.' + +'No, she hasn't,' said Peter; 'we'll take her away first, you and me, +Flossy--you and me and Snip-snap--we'll take our little baby away, and +we'll hide her. Dickory shall never go to no workhouse!' + +Here Dickory looked up again at Peter, who looked down at her and kissed +her, and two tears splashed from his eyes on her little face. + +'Oh, what a dear baby she is!' said Flossy. 'Yes, Peter, we'll run away, +and we'll take Dickory. Where shall we take her to, Peter?' + +'Oh, I don't know,' said Peter. 'We'll get her out of this, that's the +first thing. How much money have you got, Flossy?' + +'A crooked halfpenny,' said Flossy, in a decided voice. + +Peter sighed. He was older than Flossy, and he knew that a crooked +halfpenny did not represent a large capital. + +'I have got sixpence,' he said; 'that'll buy milk for her. We'll manage +quite well, Floss. When mother goes out with her market-basket, we'll +slip downstairs with Dickory, and well take her away, and we'll hide her +somewhere. She shan't go to no workhouse, the darling pet!' + +'No, that she shan't, the dear!' said Flossy. 'It's a lovely plan, +Peter, and I'll just go and watch on the top of the stairs for mother to +go out with the old market-basket.' + +'We'd better take a bag with us,' said Peter. 'The bag will come in very +handy; it will hold baby's milk when we buy it, and some bread for you +and me; for we may have to walk a long way before we find a nice hiding- +place for Dickory.' + +Children seldom take long in carrying out their resolutions, and Mrs +Franklin, puzzled and anxious, and with no real intention of sending the +poor baby to the workhouse, had not long turned the corner of the street +before the hall door of the rambling old house was eagerly and nervously +opened, and a funny little quartette issued forth. Dickory did not often +get the air, and she enjoyed herself very much, sitting well up in +Peter's arms, and wrapped up, head and all, in an old tartan shawl. +Flossy, holding the bag, walked by her brother's side, and Snip-snap +behaved in his usual erratic fashion, now running before, now lingering +behind, now stopping to exchange a greeting with a fellow-dog, or to +sniff with watering jaws and wistful eyes at a butcher's shop, but always +returning faithfully to his charge, and always raising an inquiring face +to see if Dickory was quite comfortable. She was thoroughly so, and when +she crowed, and laughed, and chuckled, Flossy wondered they had never +thought of taking her out before. The sun was shining and the day was +bright and warm, with the promise of spring in it, and the two children +were highly delighted with their scheme, and not a bit afraid of the +result. The only thing which had at all alarmed them was the fear that +Mrs Franklin or Martha might find out their little plan before they had +time to carry it into effect. + +Having succeeded in getting quite away with the baby, they considered +their difficulties at an end. Peter was old enough to know that a +crooked halfpenny did not mean much, considered as a provision for three +human beings and a dog; but he was still sufficiently young to have +perfect confidence in the capabilities of sixpence for meeting the +demands of the hour. As they walked along, Flossy, Dickory, and Snip- +snap were all very happy, and Peter too was happy, although his arms +ached sadly. But, alas! the paths of the poor little adventurers were +not to be without thorns. + +The time was April, and an April shower first damped the ardour of the +travellers--the poor baby's shawl was wet through, and she began to cry +pitifully with hunger and want of sleep. + +'She must want her milk,' said Peter; 'there, Dickory, there's a darling, +now go to sleep like the dear baby you are.' + +'You know, Peter, she won't go to sleep without her milk,' said Flossy. +'I'll run across to that milk-shop and buy some. How much milk shall I +get, Peter?' + +'A ha'p'orth,' said Peter; 'you get a ha'p'orth, Flossy, and we'll sit +down on the step of this empty house and feed the baby, and eat up our +crusts ourselves.' + +A bottle to hold the milk was to be found in Flossy's bag, and +accordingly in a short time Dickory had a meal; not quite what she was +accustomed to, but sufficient to soothe her off into a slumber in which +she forgot the discomfort of her damp clothes and all her other baby +tribulations. + +'Flossy,' said Peter, 'we have gone a long way from home now, and baby is +asleep and resting nicely on my knee; my arm won't ache a bit when she +wakes, and I'll be able to carry her a splendid long way. We'll have to +think of making up our plans, Floss--we'll have to find some place where +we can all sleep comfortably to-night.' + +'Well, we've got sixpence,' said Flossy, 'that's lots and lots of money; +but the night is a long way off, Peter, and I'm so hungry. I've eaten up +all the crusts that you and Snip-snap left for me, but I'm still as +hungry as possible. Mightn't I spend a halfpenny or so of our sixpence +in getting a good dinner for you and me and Snip-snap?' + +Peter put his hand to his brow, and began to reflect. + +'I don't think so, Floss,' he said, 'for I'm afraid you don't understand +marketing--it's best for me to go, for I'm quite old, and I know the way +mother talks to the baker's man and the milkman when they come to the +door. I must be sharp with them, Floss; that's what I must be, and I +don't think you could be; so you had better hold the baby while I fetch +our dinner. Oh dear, what a good thing it is I have got sixpence!' + +The baby, being very sound asleep, was transferred to Flossy's arms +without waking, Snip-snap was left in charge of the two, and Peter, who +knew very little more of London and London life than his little sister, +started off manfully to the eating-house round the corner. He had gone +away with a bright face, but he returned in a very short time with one +singularly depressed. + +'Here's a bit of stale bread for each of us,' he said, 'and I had to give +two halfpennies for that. I did see such a nice piece of beef and of +pudding, and I ordered some for you and me and Snip-snap, but the woman +said all that much would cost three sixpences, so then I had to say I +wouldn't have it; and I took the stale bread, and she was very cross. O +Floss, I hope I'm right about sixpence; I hope it will buy a bed for +baby, and milk and food for us all, for I'm thinking we had much better +none of us go back to-night.' + +'Of course, we won't go back,' said Flossie. 'The stale bread's +'licious, and I'm so hungry. O Peter, do look! Dickory is stretching +herself, and rubbing her little fat hands into her eyes; and I know she's +going to wake, and I'm afraid she'll cry.' + +'Give her to me,' said Peter, with the air of a practised nurse. 'I'll +hold her, and you can feed me while I'm doing so, Flossy.' + +But notwithstanding all Peter's efforts, notwithstanding his singing, and +even shouting, for the baby's benefit, notwithstanding the admiring +cheers of a little street mob that collected round him, the baby cried, +not a loud cry, but a weak, broken-hearted wail. The fact was, the +indifferent milk Flossy had fed her with had made her ill, and her little +frame was already sadly chilled by the damp shawl which she wore about +her. Poor Dickory scarcely ever got any air or exercise, and in +consequence was very susceptible to cold. + +'She is sneezing,' said Flossy. 'Oh the poor, poor darling! Peter, I +think we'd better see about our night's lodging soon; it doesn't agree +with Dickory to keep her out so long.' + +'We'll go at once,' said Peter, rising to his feet. 'There's another +black cloud coming up, and there'll be a shower again before long. We'll +get a nice room for us four, and then we'll be as happy as possible.' + +Accordingly the little party again moved forward, and whenever Peter or +Flossy saw a card up in a window they stopped and rang the house-bell, +and inquired for lodgings for themselves and their baby. Of course, they +were repulsed in all kinds of ways--some people merely laughing, and +shutting the door in their faces; some scolding them, and calling them +tiresome, impertinent little brats; and some even threatening to tell the +police about them; but no one ever hinted at the possibility of taking +them in. Presently they left the more respectable streets, and wandered +into very poor quarters. Here, doubtless, they could have found +accommodation were they able to pay for it, but everybody laughed at +Peter's pennies, and no one dreamt of offering them a shelter. Then the +rain which had threatened came down, and baby was again wet through, and +now she looked ill, as well as fretful, and refused some fresh milk which +Flossy bought for her. She was not the least like the bright little +Dickory who used to laugh and show her dimples in the old attic-nursery +at home. + +'Look here,' said Peter, 'what are we to do? 'T will be night soon, and +we haven't found no hiding-place for Dickory, and no one will take us +in.' + +'Baby is not at all well, either,' said Flossy; 'her head is quite hot, +like fire, when I touch it.' + +'What are we to do?' asked Peter. 'We can't get home, but it seems to +me, Floss, that this is worse for poor Dickory than the workhouse.' + +'I'll tell you what,' said Flossy suddenly, raising her bright +half-humorous face to Peter's, 'let's take baby to the lady what cried.' + +'The lady who cried?' repeated Peter. 'I don't know nothing about her, +Floss.' + +'O Peter, you do know; it was that day our Uncle David took us a long +walk, and we went to the cemetery with him, you know, the place with the +flowers and the trees, and where they put the pretty little children when +they die--there was a little baby being put there, and there was a lady +crying very, very bitter. I never saw no one cry so dreadful bitter as +that lady, and they said she was putting her baby in the ground. I'm +sure she must want another baby, and I think perhaps it would be right +for us to give her Dickory.' + +Peter's face became very sad. 'I don't know,' he said; 'I don't want to +give Dickory away. I'm quite dreadfully fond of her; it seems to me she +makes a lot of difference in the house, and you know, Floss, it used to +be very dull before she came.' + +'Yes,' said Flossy, 'I love her more than anything; she's a dear baby, +and I never find the days long when I'm playing with her and talking to +her: but you see, Peter, she's not to be kept at home; she's to go to the +workhouse to-morrow morning, unless we can find a nice hiding-place for +her. We can't find a hiding-place, Peter, for though you are a rich boy +and have got a lot of pennies, yet you haven't enough for us to get a +room for ourselves and Dickory, and the night air don't agree with +her--oh, there, she's sneezing again--bless her, the pet! Peter, I hope +you always say "bless her!" when Dickory sneezes. Martha says it isn't +lucky if you don't. O Peter, I do think if we must part with the baby it +would be better to give her to the lady who cried than to send her to the +workhouse.' + +'But we don't know where the lady lives,' said Peter. 'We might do it if +we knew where the lady lived; but we can't, however much we wish to, if +we don't.' + +'But I do know,' answered Flossy, 'I know quite well, 'cause last week I +saw the lady. I was out with mother, and mother went to the +greengrocer's, and while she was there the lady comed in. She was all in +black, and I am sure she had been crying a lot, for she looked so sad; +and I knew it was her. Afterwards mother and I walked behind her as she +went home, and she turned into a great big house in the square near us. +You know the square, Peter, the square that begins with a big B; Bev--- +something, I can't say it all.' + +'Bevington Square,' said Peter, in a gloomy voice. + +'Yes, yes, that was it, and 10 was the number of the house. I don't +forget the number 'cause I asked mother, and she said it was 10. O +Peter, that's where our lady lives, and I do think it would be better to +give her Dickory. There, Peter, bless her! she's sneezing again. I'm +sure we had better take her to the lady.' + +'All right,' answered Peter, 'I'll be a termagant again when she's gone; +see if I won't. I'll get up an awful racking cough at night, and I'll +worry that nasty Mr Martin much more than Dickory has worried him, see if +I don't; and I'll sing on the stairs, and I'll whistle awful loud, and +I'll buy a Jew's-harp with one of my pennies. I'll turn into a horrid +boy! but I suppose you are right about Dickory, Flossy. Here, let's go +back as fast as we can to that house you were so 'cute as to take the +number of. I'm mis'rible, and I mean to be mis'rible, so don't you +expect nothing cheerful from me, Flossy.' + +'Very well, Peter,' said Flossy meekly. + +And then the little party, slowly and painfully, for Flossy was very, +very tired, and poor Peter's arms ached fearfully, retraced their steps. +The baby had ceased crying and was asleep, and after about two hours' +patient walking and asking their way, the children found themselves in +Bevington Square. + +'I'd better go up first to the door,' said Flossy, 'and ask her if she'd +like a baby. You might stand round there, Peter, and you might keep Snip- +snap with you.' + +'You needn't press her about it,' said Peter; 'if she don't seem quite +delighted we won't give up Dickory on no account; and kiss her before you +go, Flossy, for of course the lady will take her; and in a few minutes +she won't be our Dickory no more.' + +Peter unfastened a corner of the old tartan shawl, and Flossy imprinted a +grave kiss on the baby's forehead. Then, with great solemnity, and with +the air of one engaged on an important mission, she went up the steps of +the great house and rang the bell. Flossy was an attractive little +child, her hair was really beautiful, and she had a very wistful and +taking manner. + +'Please,' she said now to the tall, powdered footman, 'I know the lady +what cried is here; please can I see her? I've brought her a little +baby, and I want to see her about it.' + +Flossy did not look quite like a common child, and her face wore a very +sweet expression when she spoke of the baby; nevertheless the footman +only stared at her, and would have certainly shut the door in her face, +had not the lady of the house at that moment come into the hall. Flossy +saw her, and quick as thought she darted past the servant and up to the +lady. + +'Please, lady,' she said, 'I've often thought of you, and I'm so very +sorry for you. Please, I've brought you another little baby instead of +the one you put into the ground in the pretty place where the flowers and +trees are. She's a dear little baby, and when you have her you won't cry +no more.' + +Flossy's voice was very earnest, and her eyes looking up full into the +lady's face were full of the most intense sympathy. Those pretty eyes of +hers were too much for the poor bereaved mother: she put her handkerchief +to her own eyes, and there and then burst into fits of fresh weeping. + +'Come away, little girl, at once,' said the indignant footman; but the +lady put out one of her hands and took Flossy's. + +'Leave the child with me,' she said to the man. 'I'll be better in a +moment, little girl,' she continued, 'and then you shall tell me what you +mean; but you have upset me talking about babies: it is not long since I +buried my child, my only child.' + +'I saw you,' said Flossy, nodding her bright head. 'I was in the +cemetery and I saw you. Oh, didn't you cry bitter! but you needn't cry +no more now, for God has sent you another little baby.' + +'No, my little girl,' said the lady, 'He has not. I have asked Him, but +it is not His will.' + +'I guessed you'd want another baby,' said Flossy. 'I knew quite well you +would, and she's waiting for you round the corner with Peter and Snip- +snap. You put on your bonnet and come and look at her; she's a real +beauty; she's got a dimple, and her name is Dickory.' + +'I'll come,' said the lady in an excited voice. 'It's the very strangest +thing I ever heard. A child coming to me like that. We'll slip out, +little girl. James need not open the door for us.' + +Flossy wondered who James was. + +'Give me your hand, little girl,' continued the lady. 'And take me to +the baby; I'll look at her anyhow.' + +Peter was standing in a very sulky attitude at the corner where the +railings were. In his heart of hearts he was extremely anxious that +Flossy's mission should fail. It seemed to him that every bit of the +niceness, all the interest would go out of his life if he hadn't Dickory. +In some ways he considered that Dickory was more to him than she was to +Flossy. He wondered how Flossy could even talk of parting with her. He +hoped sincerely she would fail in winning the lady's pity. + +But no, there they were both coming to meet him, the tall lady in deep +black, and little eager wistful Flossy. + +'This is the lady what cried,' she said to Peter. 'She have come out to +see our baby. Show her our baby, Peter.' + +In solemn gloomy silence Peter unfolded a morsel of the tartan shawl +which covered the baby's face. + +'Let me have her in my arms, please,' said the lady. + +She took the baby tenderly, peeped once again at its small wee face, felt +a sudden glow coming back into empty arms and more empty heart, and then +turned again to the children. + +{She took the baby tenderly: p47.jpg} + +'I must be mad to do such a thing,' she said. 'Two little waifs in the +street come and offer me a baby, and I don't refuse it! There, baby,' +for Dickory began to cry again, 'there, baby--hush, sweet--hush, dear +little baby, hush.' + +This lady's voice had quite a new tone for Dickory, a sweeter tone even +than Peter's or Flossy's. She stopped crying at once. + +'Our baby takes to you, ma'am,' said Flossy, in a voice of thrilling +interest. + +Peter, very pale, and still silent, drew a step nearer. + +'Well, children,' said the lady, 'I have made up my mind. I'll take this +baby home for the night. My husband will think me mad--anyone in their +senses would think me mad, but I'm nearly wild with mother-hunger, and +that little mite there,' pointing to Flossy, 'guessed it, and she brought +me the baby, and I say God bless her for it, whether she's a ragamuffin +or not. Yes, I have made up my mind. I shall take the baby home for to- +night at least. In the morning I shall make inquiries, but for to-night +the baby is mine.' + +'Half milk, half water in her bottle,' said Peter in a very grave +reproachful voice. 'Half milk, half water, and a little sugar, and a +pinch of salt, and Dickory likes her feet kept werry warm. Come home, +Flossy.' + +'And we are not ragamuffins, please lady,' said Flossy. 'Our name is +Franklin, and we live in 24 Montfiore Square. We lets lodgings, please +lady, and it was Mr Martin what turned so crusty about baby.' + +'Tell your mother I will come and see her to-morrow,' said the lady. 'You +have a mother, I suppose?' + +'Yes, oh yes. She wanted to send the baby to the workhouse.' + +'I don't think that will be necessary. My name is Ross. Tell your +mother to expect me to-morrow.' + + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +It is one thing to feel very angry about a baby, and another to wish that +helpless little atom of humanity positive ill. Mr Martin was an old +bachelor, and even mothers could scarcely blame him for objecting to +having his first sweet sleep disturbed by the wailings of a child who was +cutting its teeth. Mr Martin meant what he said when he proposed to +change lodgings. + +'Some one else can have my present room,' he remarked. 'It would be +preposterous to send that infant to the workhouse. A less sensitive +person than I am can occupy my present parlour and bedroom; comfortable +rooms, too.' He sighed as he went out. + +He was a man who disliked change, and he felt that he had been treated +badly. Mrs Franklin had no right to bring a wailing niece of a few weeks +old into the house where he lived, and it was unfair and inconsiderate. +Well, there was no help for it; the baby had come and could not be +displaced, and now there was nothing for it but for him to engage the +rooms opposite, which were certainly not nearly so nice, nor so much to +his taste. He had promised Mrs Franklin that he would give her a short +time to consider, but in his heart of hearts he was quite certain that he +must take the detested step. + +Mr Martin was a retired merchant. He had plenty of money, and his +working days were over. He generally went to his club in the morning, +and he always returned about one o'clock in the day to a comfortable mid- +day repast. Always sharp as the clock struck one, Martha placed upon Mr +Martin's board a smoking steak done to perfection. He had the same lunch +every day--he drank a glass of ale with his steak. He required this +simple meal to be served with regularity. He insisted that his steak +should always be tender and properly cooked--that was all--he would not +have stayed a week in any lodgings where the landlady could not provide +him with his steak and glass of beer as he liked them, sharp at one +o'clock. + +To-day he returned as usual, sighing a little as he entered the square. + +What a troublesome baby that was! What a nuisance it would be to move! +He doubted very much if the people opposite knew how to cook steak. He +let himself into the house with his latchkey, hung up his coat and hat in +the hall--he was a most methodical old gentleman--and turned into his +parlour. He expected the usual scene to meet his eyes, the fire burning +brightly, a snowy cloth on the table, and Martha in the act of placing an +appetising covered dish on the board. This homely and domestic scene, +however, was not destined to meet him to-day. The fire in the grate was +out, there were no preparations for lunch on the table, and taking up the +greater part of the light from one of the windows might have been seen +the portly form of Mrs Potts. + +Mrs Potts was the drawing-room lodger, and Mr Martin both dreaded and +detested her. He shrank back a step or two. What was she doing in his +room? The absence of lunch was bad enough, but this unexpected and +undesired company was insult on injury. + +Mr Martin bowed, cleared his throat, and prepared to make an elaborate +speech. Mrs Potts interrupted him fiercely. + +'My good sir, this is no time for ceremony--the wailing infant up-stairs +and the two children of the house have been stolen since the morning. Mrs +Franklin is almost out of her mind with grief, and suspicion points to +you.' + +'Good gracious, madam, what _do_ you mean?' said poor Mr Martin in a limp +voice. He sank down on the nearest chair, spreading out his hands on his +knees. 'What do you mean?' he continued. 'The children stolen! Who +stole them?' + +'Perhaps _you_ can answer that question. Who was it made such an +indecent fuss this morning because a poor fatherless and motherless babe +cried? Who threatened to leave if that same poor babe wasn't sent to the +workhouse? Answer me that, Mr Martin, and then tell me if you know +nothing of the fate of the hapless innocents.' + +Mr Martin looked cautiously round at the door, which was slightly ajar. +He got up softly and shut it. Then he advanced gently across the room +and came up close to Mrs Potts. + +'Answer _me_ this,' he said. 'Did you like it, yourself?' + +'Did I like what? Good gracious, the man frightens me.' + +'Did you like the wailing sounds of the fatherless and motherless baby? +You were nearer to it than I was. If you heard it last night, and felt +all the pity you now express, you had a good opportunity of putting it to +the test by going up-stairs and lulling the unfortunate babe to rest. A +woman's mission, too, I have always understood.' + +Mrs Potts turned scarlet. + +'I! I do what you describe!' she said. 'You forget yourself, Mr +Martin.' + +'I fail to see that I do, Mrs Potts. It strikes me that it is rather the +other way. Perhaps you will do me the kindness to let me have my room in +peace.' + +Mrs Potts made a sweeping curtsey and vanished, and Mr Martin stood for +some time in his deserted parlour feeling far more uncomfortable than he +liked to confess. He was methodical and fussy, but he was by no means an +ill-natured man. He thought Mrs Potts most impertinent, but her news +distressed him. After reflecting for a few moments, he went across to +the fireplace, and pulled his bell sharply. After a short pause the +kitchen slavey answered his summons: her eyes were red with weeping, and +her nose very smutty. Mr Martin hated dirty servants. He turned his +back to her as he spoke. + +'Jane, is your mistress in?' + +'Yes, sir. Please sir, we're all distraught with grief. You have heard +of the--the--' + +'I have heard of the calamity, through Mrs Potts. Can I speak to your +mistress?' + +'I'll inquire, please sir. Missus is having her fourth hysteric fit just +now.' + +'Then I beg'--Mr Martin's face grew quite white--'I beg you won't disturb +her until she is equal to seeing me.' ('How awful if the fifth comes on +in this room,' he mentally thought. 'I've a good mind to tell her not to +disturb herself.') + +But Jane had vanished. + +In about a quarter of an hour Mrs Franklin appeared. She was pale, but +her grief was temperate. + +'Yes,' she said, 'I am in very great distress. The children, Peter and +Flossy, have evidently run away with that poor baby. Flossy was in the +room when you spoke to me this morning, Mr Martin, and she must have +taken fright at your words. The children took the opportunity to leave +the house when I was out marketing. Your steak is being cooked, Mr +Martin. I must apologise for the delay.' + +'Madam, I beg you won't mention it. I am deeply grieved that this should +have happened, and that I am the cause. I am more grieved than I can +possibly express. I would rather lie awake all night listening to those +yells of that miserable infant than that this--this--should have +happened. The alarm, the upsetting of the household routine, the inroad +into my sanctum of that awful female--h'm--of your drawing-room +lodger--and last but not least, the danger to three innocent human +creatures. I am overpowered with remorse at the sorry part I have played +myself.' + +'Don't mention it, Mr Martin. I always said there'd be trouble when the +baby was brought. It can't be helped now. Of course we must keep it, +but I'm sorry to lose a valuable and considerate lodger like yourself, +sir.' + +'H'm! Are any steps being taken to recover the children?' + +'My husband has gone to the nearest police-station, sir. Poor mites, and +Flossy's not so strong in her chest. They're safe to be back by +to-night, Mr Martin. And perhaps you'd like some one to help you with +your packing, sir?' + +'H'm! I'll consider it,' said Mr Martin. 'I'm--I'm not such a young man +as I was, Mrs Franklin.' + +'Oh, I'm sure, sir. Well, we're none of us that, are we? I should take +you, sir, begging your pardon, to be but a very little way on the wrong +side of forty.' + +Mr Martin chuckled, and then grew grave. + +'On the wrong side of sixty,' he said. 'Now, now, no humbugging, I beg.' + +'Well, sir, about the packing. My head is all in a muddle, it is true, +but any help that I can give'-- + +'What do you say to a baize door?' replied Mr Martin, rather +irrelevantly. + +'I--I beg your pardon, sir?' + +'And a very thick curtain inside my room door? It is true I have heard +it remarked that the wails of an infant when teething will penetrate +through any obstacles. Still, a baize door inside your nursery door, and +thick curtains inside mine would soften the disturbance--yes, would +soften it. I was going to say that I would provide them.' + +'Then you will stay after all, sir?' + +'Well, well, do you agree with me? do you think my plan will make matters +easier?' + +'Oh, won't they just!' said Mrs Franklin, tears now brimming over in her +eyes. 'You're a good man, Mr Martin, and God will bless you, sir.' + +* * * * * + +'Mother,' said Flossy, when at last she got home, 'it's all right about +Dickory. We took her to the lady what cried.' + +Mrs Franklin had Flossy in her arms when she made this remark. Now she +pressed her close with one arm, and with the other drew Peter to her +side. + +'Tell me the whole story, my darlings,' she said. + +Which they did, Mr Martin himself coming into the kitchen and listening +to them. + +'Why, I know Mrs Ross,' he said suddenly. 'It's a splendid chance for +the infant, a splendid chance. Miles better than a baize door and thick +curtains. Only you won't forget that I made you the offer, Mrs +Franklin?' + +'No, sir. I'm never likely to forget that.' + +'It's a splendid chance,' repeated Mr Martin. 'The Rosses are wealthy, +and she's just that eccentric, generous, impulsive creature who would be +sure to take to a child brought to her so. I consider you a very clever +little girl, Flossy Franklin.' + +But Peter put his head down upon the table, and began to cry, for his +heart was very sore for Dickory. + +* * * * * + +However, in the end even Peter was comforted. When next the children saw +Dickory she was beautifully dressed, she had a grand nurse all to +herself, and two splendid nurseries entirely at her own disposal. The +grand nurse said that she was a most refined baby, that she must have +very good blood in her veins, for she had such a 'haristocratic way.' + +The grand nurse felt rather inclined to look down upon Peter and Flossy +Franklin, but not so Dickory herself. Out went her baby arms, dimples +came into her baby face, and with a crow of rapture she nestled up into +Peter's embrace. + +'Eh, but she's a 'cute young 'un,' he said with his slow smile. + +And somehow after that he was comforted. He felt that it would have been +wrong of him to stand in the way of such a brilliant lot for his darling. + +Flossy and he went back to the attic, which was no longer at all a +cheerful apartment. They did not, however, spend so much of their time +there as formerly, for Mr Martin had taken a fancy to the children, and +they often now spent their evenings with him. + +On these occasions he was often seen to regard them both with a puzzled +look on his somewhat testy but still kind-hearted face. + +'_The_ cleverest little girl in the world,' he would say, signifying +Flossy by a motion of his hand. 'For it is my private belief that even +curtains and a baize door would not have softened the piercing sound. +Yes, Flossy got me out of my dilemma in a wonderful way.' + +THE END. + +Edinburgh: +Printed by W. & R. 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