Dickory Dock | Page 8

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