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for him, in case I should find you had done the handsome thing by Ruby.
Will that be enough?”
“It's too much, sir. His body ain't worth it--shoes and all. It's only
his heart, sir--that's worth millions--but his heart'll be mine all the
same--so it's too much, sir.”
“I don't think so. It won't be, at least, by the time we've got him
fed up again. You take it and welcome. Just go on with your cabbing for
another month, only take it out of Ruby and let Diamond rest; and by
that time I shall be ready for you to go down into the country.”
“Thank you, sir, thank you. Diamond set you down for a friend, sir, the
moment he saw you. I do believe that child of mine knows more than other
people.”
“I think so, too,” said Mr. Raymond as he walked away.
He had meant to test Joseph when he made the bargain about Ruby, but had
no intention of so greatly prolonging the trial. He had been taken ill
in Switzerland, and had been quite unable to return sooner. He went away
now highly gratified at finding that he had stood the test, and was a
true man.
Joseph rushed in to his wife who had been standing at the window
anxiously waiting the result of the long colloquy. When she heard that
the horses were to go together in double harness, she burst forth into
an immoderate fit of laughter. Diamond came up with the baby in his arms
and made big anxious eyes at her, saying--
“What is the matter with you, mother dear? Do cry a little. It will do
you good. When father takes ever so small a drop of spirits, he puts
water to it.”
“You silly darling!” said his mother; “how could I but laugh at the
notion of that great fat Ruby going side by side with our poor old
Diamond?”
“But why not, mother? With a month's oats, and nothing to do, Diamond'll
be nearer Ruby's size than you will father's. I think it's very good for
different sorts to go together. Now Ruby will have a chance of teaching
Diamond better ma
“How dare you say such a thing, Diamond?” said his father, angrily.
“To compare the two for ma
Diamond's a gentleman.”
“I don't mean to say he isn't, father; for I daresay some gentlemen
judge their neighbours unjustly. That's all I mean. Diamond shouldn't
have thought such bad things of Ruby. He didn't try to make the best of
him.”
“How do you know that, pray?”
“I heard them talking about it one night.”
“Who?”
“Why Diamond and Ruby. Ruby's an angel.”
Joseph stared and said no more. For all his new gladness, he was very
gloomy as he re-harnessed the angel, for he thought his darling Diamond
was going out of his mind.
He could not help thinking rather differently, however, when he found
the change that had come over Ruby. Considering his fat, he exerted
himself amazingly, and got over the ground with incredible speed. So
willing, even anxious, was he to go now, that Joseph had to hold him
quite tight.
Then as he laughed at his own fancies, a new fear came upon him lest the
horse should break his wind, and Mr. Raymond have good cause to think
he had not been using him well. He might even suppose that he had taken
advantage of his new instructions, to let out upon the horse some of his
pent-up dislike; whereas in truth, it had so utterly vanished that he
felt as if Ruby, too, had been his friend all the time.
CHAPTER XXXIV. IN THE COUNTRY
BEFORE the end of the month, Ruby had got respectably thin, and Diamond
respectably stout. They really began to look fit for double harness.
Joseph and his wife got their affairs in order, and everything ready for
migrating at the shortest notice; and they felt so peaceful and happy
that they judged all the trouble they had gone through well worth
enduring. As for Na
hospital, that she expected nothing better, and saw nothing attractive
in the notion of the country. At the same time, she had not the least
idea of what the word country meant, for she had never seen anything
about her but streets and gas-lamps. Besides, she was more attached to
Jim than to Diamond: Jim was a reasonable being, Diamond in her eyes at
best only an amiable, over-grown baby, whom no amount of expostulation
would ever bring to talk sense, not to say think it. Now that she
could manage the baby as well as he, she judged herself altogether his
superior. Towards his father and mother, she was all they could wish.
Diamond had taken a great deal of pains and trouble to find Jim, and had
at last succeeded through the help of the tall policeman, who was glad
to renew his acquaintance with the strange child. Jim had moved his
quarters, and had not heard of Na
was taken to the hospital, where he was too shy to go and inquire about
her. But when at length she went to live with Diamond's family, Jim was
willing enough to go and see her. It was after one of his visits, during
which they had been talking of her new prospects, that Na
to Diamond her opinion of the country.
“There ain't nothing in it but the sun and moon, Diamond.”
“There's trees and flowers,” said Diamond.
“Well, they ain't no count,” returned Na
“Ain't they? They're so beautiful, they make you happy to look at them.”
“That's because you're such a silly.”
Diamond smiled with a far-away look, as if he were gazing through clouds
of green leaves and the vision contented him. But he was thinking with
himself what more he could do for Na
to find Mr. Raymond, for he had heard that he had returned to town.
“Ah! how do you do, Diamond?” said Mr. Raymond; “I am glad to see you.”
And he was indeed, for he had grown very fond of him. His opinion of him
was very different from Na
“What do you want now, my child?” he asked.
“I'm always wanting something, sir,” answered Diamond.
“Well, that's quite right, so long as what you want is right. Everybody
is always wanting something; only we don't mention it in the right place
often enough. What is it now?”
“There's a friend of Na
“I've heard of him,” said Mr. Raymond. “Well?”
“Na
“Well, what has that to do with Jim?”
“You couldn't find a corner for Jim to work in--could you, sir?”
“I don't know that I couldn't. That is, if you can show good reason for
it.”
“He's a good boy, sir.”
“Well, so much the better for him.”
“I know he can shine boots, sir.”
“So much the better for us.”
“You want your boots shined in the country--don't you, sir?”
“Yes, to be sure.”
“It wouldn't be nice to walk over the flowers with dirty boots--would
it, sir?”
“No, indeed.”
“They wouldn't like it--would they?”
“No, they wouldn't.”
“Then Na
“If the flowers didn't like dirty boots to walk over them, Na
wouldn't mind going to the country? Is that it? I don't quite see it.”
“No, sir; I didn't mean that. I meant, if you would take Jim with you to
clean your boots, and do odd jobs, you know, sir, then Na
it better. She's so fond of Jim!”
“Now you come to the point, Diamond. I see what you mean, exactly. I
will turn it over in my mind. Could you bring Jim to see me?”