They were interrupted at this point by a merry shout of glee, and, looking up, found that young Welland had mounted the see-saw, taken Lilly Snow in front of him, had Dick Swiller reinstated to counterbalance his extra weight, and was enjoying himself in a most hilarious manner among the fluttering rags. Assuredly, the fluttering rags did not enjoy themselves a whit less hilariously than he.
In this condition he was found by the owner of the grounds, George Brisbane, Esquire, of Lively Hall, who, accompanied by his wife, and a tall, dignified friend with a little girl, approached the see-saw.
I am glad you enjoy yourself so much, my young friend, he said to Welland; to which of the ragged schools may you belong?
In much confusionfor he was rather shyWelland made several abortive efforts to check the see-saw, which efforts Dick Swiller resisted to the uttermost, to the intense amusement of a little girl who held Mrs Brisbanes hand. At last he succeeded in arresting it and leaped off.
I beg pardon, he said, taking off his cap to the lady as he advanced, for intruding uninvited on
Pray dont speak of intrusion, interrupted Mr Brisbane, extending his hand; if you are here as Mr Seawards friend you are a welcome guest. Your only intrusion was among the little ones, but as they seem not to resent it neither do I.
Welland grasped the proffered hand. Thank you very much, he returned, but I can scarcely lay claim to Mr Seawards friendship. The fact is, I am here in consequence of an accident to my bicycle.
Oh! then you are one of the poor unfortunates after all, said the host. Come, you are doubly welcome. Not hurt much, I hope. No? Thats all right. But dont let me keep you from your amusements. Remember, we shall expect you at the feast on the lawn. You see, Sir Richard, he added, turning to his dignified friend, when we go in for this sort of thing we dont do it by halves. To have any lasting effect, it must make a deep impression. So we have got up all sorts of amusements, as you observe, and shall have no fewer than two good feeds. Come, let us visit some otherWhy, what are you gazing at so intently?
He might well ask the question, for Sir Richard Brandon had just observed Hetty Frog, and she, unaccustomed to such marked attention, was gazing in perplexed confusion on the ground. At the same time little Di, having caught sight of her, quitted Mrs Brisbane, ran towards her with a delighted scream, and clasping her hand in both of hers, proclaimed her the sister of my boy!
Hettys was not the nature to refuse such affection. Though among the poorest of the poor, and clothed in the shabbiest and most patchy of garments, (which in her case, however, were neat, clean and well mended), she was rich in a loving disposition; so that, forgetting herself and the presence of others, she stooped and folded the little girl in her arms. And, when the soft brown hair and pale pretty face of Poverty were thus seen as it were co-mingling with the golden locks and rosy cheeks of Wealth, even Sir Richard was forced to admit to himself that it was not after all a very outrageous piece of impropriety!
Oh! Im so glad to hear that hes much better, and been out too! I would have come to see him again long long ago, but p
She checked herself, for Mrs Screwbury had carefully explained to her that no good girl ever said anything against her parents; and little Di had swallowed the lesson, for, when not led by passion, she was extremely teachable.
And oh! she continued, opening her great blue lakelets to their widest state of solemnity, you havent the smallest bit of notion how I have dreamt about my boyand my policeman too! I never can get over the feeling that they might both have been killed, and if they had, you know, it would have been me that did it; only think! I would havebeena murderer! Praps theyd have hanged me!
But they werent killed, dear, said Hetty, unable to restrain a smile at the awful solemnity of the child, and the terrible fate referred to.
NoIm so glad, but I cant get over it, continued Di, while those near to her stood quietly by unable to avoid overhearing, even if they had wished to do so. And they do such strange things in my dreams, continued Di, you cant think. Only last night I was in our basket-cartthe dream-one, you know, not the real oneand the dream-pony ran away again, and gave my boy such a dreadful knock that he fell flat down on his back, tumbled over two or three times, and rose upa policeman! Not my policeman, you know, but quite another one that I had never seen before! But the very oddest thing of all was that it made me so angry that I jumped with all my might on to his breast, and when I got there it wasnt the policeman but the pony! and it was deadquite dead, for I had killed it, and I wasnt sorry at allnot a bit!
This was too much for Hetty, who burst into a laugh, and Sir Richard thought it time to go and see the games that were going on in other parts of the field, accompanied by Welland and the missionary, while Hetty returned to her special pet Lilly Snow.
And, truly, if one touch of nature makes the whole world kin, there were touches of nature enough seen that day among these outcasts of society to have warranted their claiming kin with the whole world.
Leap-frog was greatly in favour, because the practitioners could abandon themselves to a squirrel-and-cat sort of bound on the soft grass, which they had never dared to indulge in on the London pavements. It was a trying game, however, to the rags, which not only betrayed their character to the eye by the exhibition of flesh-tints through numerous holes, but addressed themselves also to the ears by means of frequent and explosive rendings. Pins, however, were applied to the worst of these with admirable though temporary effect, and the fun became faster and more furious,especially so when the points of some of the pins touched up the flesh-tints unexpectedly.