"Let"s run on and look at the tiny shoes in Field"s window," she said.
"We can wait there till nurse comes up to us. She"ll see us."
This roused Hal to bestir himself, and they were soon at the shoemaker"s.
"_Isn"t_ they sweet?" said Peggy. "If I had a gold pound of my very own, Hal, I"d buy some of them."
"Would you?" said Hal, doubtfully. "No, if _I_ had a gold pound I"d----"
But just then nurse came up to them and they were all marched into the shop.
CHAPTER V
THE LITTLE RED SHOES
"Pif-paf Pottrie, what trade are you? Are you a tailor?"
"Better still!" "A shoemaker?"
BROTHERS GRIMM.
THERE was another reason why the children liked Field"s shop. At the back of it was a sort of little room railed off by a low wooden part.i.tion with curtains at the top, into which customers were shown to try on and be fitted with new boots or shoes. This little room within a room had always greatly taken Peggy"s fancy; she had often talked it over with her brothers, and wished they could copy it in their nursery.
Inside it had comfortable cushioned seats all round, making it look like one of the large, square, cushioned pews still to be found in some old churches, pews which all children who have ever sat in them dearly love.
There was always some excitement in peeping into this little room to see if any one was already there; if that were the case the children knew they should have to be "tried on" in the outer shop. To-day, however, there was no doubt about the matter--Miss Field, who acted as her father"s shop-woman, marshalled them all straight into the curtained recess without delay; there was no one there--and when Peggy and Hal had with some difficulty twisted themselves on to the seats with as much formality as if they were settling themselves in church, and nurse had explained what they had come for, the girl began operations by taking off one of Hal"s boots to serve as a pattern for his size.
"The same make as these, I suppose?" she asked.
"No, miss, a little thicker, I think. They"re to be good strong ones for country wear," said nurse.
Peggy looked up with surprise.
"For the country, nursie," she said. "He"ll have weared them out before it"s time for us to go to the country. It won"t be summer for a long while, and last year we didn"t go even when summer comed."
Nurse looked a little vexed. Miss Field, though smiling and good-natured, was not a special favourite of nurse"s; she was too fond of talking, and she stood there now looking very much amused at Peggy"s remonstrance.
"If you didn"t go to the country last year, Miss Margaret," said nurse, "more reason that you"ll go this. But little girls can"t know everything."
Peggy opened her eyes and her mouth. She was just going to ask nurse what was the matter, which would not have made things better, I am afraid, when Baby changed the subject by bursting out crying. Poor Baby--he did not like the little curtained-off room at all; it was rather dark, and he felt frightened, and as was of course the most sensible thing to do under the circ.u.mstances, as he could not speak, he cried.
"Dear, dear," said nurse, after vainly trying to soothe him, "he doesn"t like being in here, the poor lamb. He"s frightened. I"ll never get him quiet here. Miss Peggy, love," forgetting in her hurry the presence of Miss Field, for before strangers Peggy was always "Miss Margaret," with nurse, "I"ll have to put him back in his perambulator at the door, and if you"ll stand beside him he"ll be quite content."
[Ill.u.s.tration: "Baby did not interrupt her; he was quite content now he was out in the light and the open air, and amused himself after his own fashion by crowing and chuckling to the pa.s.sers-by. So Peggy stood still, her eyes fixed on the baby shoes. They were of all colours, black and red and bronze and blue--it was difficult to say which was the prettiest." p.p. 68-69]
And nurse got up as she spoke. Peggy slid herself down slowly and reluctantly from her seat; she would have liked to stay and watch Hal being fitted with boots, and she would have liked still more to ask nurse what she meant by speaking of the country so long before the time, but it was Peggy"s habit to do what she was told without delay, and she knew she could ask nurse what she wanted afterwards. So with one regretful look back at the snug corner where Hal was sitting comfortably staring at his stockinged toes, she trotted across the shop to the door where Baby, quite restored to good humour, was being settled in his carriage.
"There now, he"ll be quite happy. Nurse will come soon, dear. Just let him stay here in the doorway; he can see all the boots and shoes in the window--that will amuse him."
"Yes," said Peggy, adding in her own mind that she would have a good look at the dear, tiny dolls" ones and fix which she would like to buy if she had the money.
Baby did not interrupt her; he was quite content now he was out in the light and the open air, and amused himself after his own fashion by crowing and chuckling to the pa.s.sers-by. So Peggy stood still, her eyes fixed on the baby shoes. They were of all colours, black and red and bronze and blue--it was difficult to say which were the prettiest.
Peggy had almost decided upon a red pair, and was wondering how much money it would take to buy them, when some one touched her on the shoulder. She looked up; a lady was standing behind her, smiling in amus.e.m.e.nt.
"What are you gazing at so, my dear? Is this your baby in the perambulator? You had better wheel him a little bit farther back, or may I do so for you?--he has worked himself too far into the doorway."
Peggy looked up questioningly in the lady"s face. Like many children she did not like being spoken to by strangers in any unceremonious way; she felt as if it were rather a freedom.
But the face that met hers was too kind and bright and pleasant to resist, and though Peggy still looked grave, it was only that she felt rather shy.
"Yes," she said, "he"s our baby. I was looking at those sweet little shoes. I didn"t see Baby had pushed hisself away. Thank you," as the lady gently moved the perambulator a little farther to one side.
"You and Baby are not alone? Are you waiting for some one?" she asked.
"Nurse is having Hal tried on for new boots," Peggy replied, "and Baby didn"t like the shop "cos it were rather dark."
"And so his kind little sister is taking care of him. I see," said the lady. "And what are the sweet little shoes you like so much to look at?
Are they some that would fit Baby?"
"Oh no," said Peggy, "they"d be too little for him. Baby _is_ rather fat. Oh no, it"s _those_ under the gla.s.s basin turned upside down," and she pointed to the dolls" shoes. "Aren"t they lovely? I"ve seen them ever since I was quite little--I suppose they"d cost a great lot," and Peggy sighed.
"Which do you think the prettiest?" asked the lady.
"The red ones," Peggy replied.
"Well, I almost think I agree with you," said the lady. "Good-bye, my dear, don"t let Baby run himself out into the street." And with a kind smile she went on into the shop.
She pa.s.sed back again in a few minutes.
"Still there?" she said, nodding to Peggy, and then she made her way down the street and was soon out of sight. Peggy"s attention, since the lady had warned her, had been entirely given to Baby, otherwise she might perhaps have noticed a very wonderful thing that had happened in the shop-window. The pair of red dolls" shoes was no longer there! They had been quietly withdrawn from the case in which they, with their companions, had spent a peaceful, but it must be allowed a rather dull life for some years.
In another minute nurse and Hal made their appearance, and Hal had a parcel, which he was clutching tightly in both hands.
"My new boots is _so_ shiny," he said, "I do so hope they"ll squeak.
Does you think they will, nursie? But isn"t poor Peggy to have new boots, too? _Poor_ Peggy!"
Peggy looked down at her feet.
"Mine isn"t wored out yet," she said; "it would take all poor mamma"s money to buy new boots for us _all_."
"Never fear," said nurse, who heard rather a martyr tone in Peggy"s voice, "you"ll not be forgotten, Miss Peggy. But Master Hal, hadn"t you better put your boots in the perambulator? You"ll be tired of carrying them, for we"re not going straight home."
Hal looked as if he were going to grumble at this, but before he had time to say anything, Miss Field came hurrying out of the shop.
"Oh, you"re still here," she said; "that"s all right. The lady who"s just left told father to give this little parcel to missie here," and she held out something to Peggy, who was so astonished that for a moment or two she only stared at the girl without offering to take the tiny packet.
"For me," she said at last.