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At the words, the old horse arose with a scramble like thunder, shot his
angry head and glaring eye over into Ruby's stall, and said--
“Keep out of my way, you unworthy wretch, or I'll bite you. You a horse!
Why did you do that?”
“Because I wanted to grow fat.”
“You grease-tub! Oh! my teeth and tail! I thought you were a humbug! Why
did you want to get fat? There's no truth to be got out of you but by
cross-questioning. You ain't fit to be a horse.”
“Because once I am fat, my nature is to keep fat for a long time; and I
didn't know when master might come home and want to see me.”
“You conceited, good-for-nothing brute! You're only fit for the
knacker's yard. You wanted to look handsome, did you? Hold your tongue,
or I'll break my halter and be at you--with your handsome fat!”
“Never mind, Diamond. You're a good horse. You can't hurt me.”
“Can't hurt you! Just let me once try.”
“No, you can't.”
“Why then?”
“Because I'm an angel.”
“What's that?”
“Of course you don't know.”
“Indeed I don't.”
“I know you don't. An ignorant, rude old human horse, like you, couldn't
know it. But there's young Diamond listening to all we're saying; and he
knows well enough there are horses in heaven for angels to ride upon,
as well as other animals, lions and eagles and bulls, in more important
situations. The horses the angels ride, must be angel-horses, else the
angels couldn't ride upon them. Well, I'm one of them.”
“You ain't.”
“Did you ever know a horse tell a lie?”
“Never before. But you've confessed to shamming lame.”
“Nothing of the sort. It was necessary I should grow fat, and necessary
that good Joseph, your master, should grow lean. I could have pretended
to be lame, but that no horse, least of all an angel-horse would do. So
I must be lame, and so I sprained my ankle--for the angel-horses have
ankles--they don't talk horse-slang up there--and it hurt me very much,
I assure you, Diamond, though you mayn't be good enough to be able to
believe it.”
Old Diamond made no reply. He had lain down again, and a sleepy snort,
very like a snore, revealed that, if he was not already asleep, he was
past understanding a word that Ruby was saying. When young Diamond found
this, he thought he might venture to take up the dropt shuttlecock of
the conversation.
“I'm good enough to believe it, Ruby,” he said.
But Ruby never turned his head, or took any notice of him. I suppose
he did not understand more of English than just what the coachman and
stableman were in the habit of addressing him with. Finding, however,
that his companion made no reply, he shot his head over the partition
and looking down at him said--
“You just wait till to-morrow, and you'll see whether I'm speaking the
truth or not.--I declare the old horse is fast asleep!--Diamond!--No I
won't.”
Ruby turned away, and began pulling at his hayrack in silence.
Diamond gave a shiver, and looking round saw that the door of the stable
was open. He began to feel as if he had been dreaming, and after a
glance about the stable to see if North Wind was anywhere visible, he
thought he had better go back to bed.
CHAPTER XXXIII. THE PROSPECT BRIGHTENS
THE next morning, Diamond's mother said to his father, “I'm not quite
comfortable about that child again.”
“Which child, Martha?” asked Joseph. “You've got a choice now.”
“Well, Diamond I mean. I'm afraid he's getting into his queer ways
again. He's been at his old trick of walking in his sleep. I saw him run
up the stair in the middle of the night.”
“Didn't you go after him, wife?”
“Of course I did--and found him fast asleep in his bed. It's because
he's had so little meat for the last six weeks, I'm afraid.”
“It may be that. I'm very sorry. But if it don't please God to send us
enough, what am I to do, wife?”
“You can't help it, I know, my dear good man,” returned Martha. “And
after all I don't know. I don't see why he shouldn't get on as well as
the rest of us. There I'm nursing baby all this time, and I get along
pretty well. I'm sure, to hear the little man singing, you wouldn't
think there was much amiss with him.”
For at that moment Diamond was singing like a lark in the clouds. He had
the new baby in his arms, while his mother was dressing herself. Joseph
was sitting at his breakfast--a little weak tea, dry bread, and very
dubious butter--which Na
because he was hungry. He had groomed both horses, and had got old
Diamond harnessed ready to put to.
“Think of a fat angel, Dulcimer!” said Diamond.
The baby had not been christened yet, but Diamond, in reading his Bible,
had come upon the word dulcimer, and thought it so pretty that ever
after he called his sister Dulcimer!
“Think of a red, fat angel, Dulcimer!” he repeated; “for Ruby's an angel
of a horse, Dulcimer. He sprained his ankle and got fat on purpose.”
“What purpose, Diamond?” asked his father.
“Ah! that I can't tell. I suppose to look handsome when his master
comes,” answered Diamond.--“What do you think, Dulcimer? It must be for
some good, for Ruby's an angel.”
“I wish I were rid of him, anyhow,” said his father; “for he weighs
heavy on my mind.”
“No wonder, father: he's so fat,” said Diamond. “But you needn't be
afraid, for everybody says he's in better condition than when you had
him.”
“Yes, but he may be as thin as a tin horse before his owner comes. It
was too bad to leave him on my hands this way.”
“Perhaps he couldn't help it,” suggested Diamond. “I daresay he has some
good reason for it.”
“So I should have said,” returned his father, “if he had not driven such
a hard bargain with me at first.”
“But we don't know what may come of it yet, husband,” said his wife.
“Mr. Raymond may give a little to boot, seeing you've had more of the
bargain than you wanted or reckoned upon.”
“I'm afraid not: he's a hard man,” said Joseph, as he rose and went to
get his cab out.
Diamond resumed his singing. For some time he carolled snatches of
everything or anything; but at last it settled down into something like
what follows. I ca
Where did you come from, baby dear?
Out of the everywhere into here.
Where did you get your eyes so blue?
Out of the sky as I came through.
What makes the light in them sparkle and spin?
Some of the starry spikes left in.
Where did you get that little tear?
I found it waiting when I got here.
What makes your forehead so smooth and high?
A soft hand stroked it as I went by.
What makes your cheek like a warm white rose?
I saw something better than any one knows.
Whence that three-cornered smile of bliss?
Three angels gave me at once a kiss.
Where did you get this pearly ear?
God spoke, and it came out to hear.
Where did you get those arms and hands?
Love made itself into hooks and bands.
Feet, whence did you come, you darling things?
From the same box as the cherubs' wings.