Dickory Dock | Page 7

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