Brownsmiths Boy | Page 8

grower, and my dignity was a good deal touched by
the treatment I had received; but all at once there came from behind me
such a roar that I was compelled to stop, and on turning round there
was old Brownsmith trotting after me, with his cats skipping about in
all directions to avoid being trodden on and to keep up.
He was very much more red in the face now, for the colour went all
down below his cheeks and about his temples, and he was shining very
much.

"Why, I didn't know you with your cap on," he cried. "Take it off. No,
you can't. I will."
To my great annoyance he snatched off my cap.
"To be sure! I'm right," he said, and then he put my cap on again,
uncomfortably wrong, and all back: for no one can put your cap on for
you as you do it yourself. "You live over yonder at the white house with
the lady who is ill?"
I nodded.
"The widow lady?"
"I live with mamma," I said shortly.
"Been very ill, hasn't she?"
"Yes, sir."
"Ah! bad thing illness, I suppose. Never was ill, only when the wagon
went over my leg."
"Yes, sir, she has been very bad."
I was fidgeting to go, but he took hold of one of the ends of my little
check silk tie, and kept fiddling it about between his finger and thumb.
"What's the matter?"
"Dr Morrison told Mrs Beeton, our landlady, that it was decline, sir."
"And then Mrs Beeton told you?"
"No, sir, I heard the doctor tell her."
"And then you went and frightened the poor thing and made her worse
by telling her?"

"No, I did not, sir," I said warmly.
"Why not?"
"Because I thought it might make her worse."
"Humph! Hah! Poor dear lady!" he said more softly. "Looked too ill to
come to church last Sunday, boy. Flowers and fruit for her?"
I nodded.
"She send you to buy 'em?"
I shook my head, for I was so hurt by his abrupt way, his sharp
cross-examination, and the thoughts of my mother's illness, that I could
not speak.
"Who sent you then--Mrs Beeton?"
"No, sir."
"Who did?"
"Nobody, sir. I thought she would like some, and I came."
"For a surprise, eh?"
Yes, sir.
"Own money?"
I stared at him hard.
"I said, Own money? the sixpence? Where did you get it?"
"I have sixpence a week allowed me to spend."
"Hah! to be sure," he said, still holding on by my tie, and staring at me
as he fumbled with one hand in his trousers pocket. "Get out, Dick, or

I'll tread on you!" this to one of the cats, who seemed to think because
he was black and covered with black fur that he was a blacking-brush,
and he was using himself accordingly all over his master's boots.
"If you please, I want to go now," I said hurriedly.
"To be sure you do," he said, still holding on to the end of my tie--"to
be sure you do. Hah! that's got him at last."
I stared in return, for there had been a great deal of screwing about
going on in that pocket, as if he could not get out his big fist, but it
came out at last with a snatch.
"Here, where are you?" he said. "Weskit? why, what a bit of a slit it is
to call a pocket. Hold the sixpence though, won't it?"
"If you please I'd rather pay for the flowers," I cried, flushing as he
held on by the tie with one hand, and thrust the sixpence back in my
pocket with the other.
"Dessay you would," he replied; "but I told you before I'm market
grower and dursen't take small sums. Not according to Cocker. Didn't
know Cocker, I suppose, did you?"
"No, sir."
"Taught 'rithmetic. Didn't learn his 'rithmetic then?"
"No, sir," I replied, "Walkinghame's."
"Did you though? There, now, you play a walking game, and get home
and count your strawberries."
"Yes, sir, but--"
"I say, what a fellow you are to but! Why, you're like Teddy, my goat, I
once had. No, no! No money. Welcome to the fruit, ditto flowers, boy.
This way."

He was leading me towards the gate now like a dog by a string, and it
annoyed me that he would hold me by the end of my tie, the more so
that I could see Shock with a basket turned over his head watching me
from down amongst the trees.
"Come on again, my lad, often as you like. Lots growing--lots spoils."
"Thank you, sir," I said diffidently, "but--"
"Woa, Teddy," he cried, laughing. "There; that'll do. Look here, why
don't you bring her for a walk round the garden--do