Connie selected from its depths a pair of thin and very fine linen sheets. These she aired by the fire, and laid them over the mattress when they were quite warm. There was a blanket, white and light and very warm, which was also placed over the linen sheets; and a down pillow was found which Connie covered with a frilled pillow-case; and finally she took out the most precious thing of all--a large crimson and gold shawl, made of fine, fine silk, which her mother used to wear, and which Connie dimly remembered as thinking too beautiful for this world. But nothing was too beautiful for little Giles; and the couch with its crimson covering was all ready for him when Harris reappeared, bearing the boy in his arms.
"I kivered him up with his own blanket," he said, turning to Connie.
"Ain"t that sofy comfor"ble to look at? You lie on the sofa, sonny, an"
then yer"ll know wot it be to be well tended."
Little Giles was placed there, and Connie prepared a hot bottle to put to his feet, while Harris returned to the empty room to fetch away the medicine and get the things which Dr. Deane had ordered. He left a message, too, with Mrs. Nelson, telling her what had become of the boy, and asking Dr. Deane to call at his house in the future.
"You be a good man," said Mrs. Nelson in a tone of great admiration. "My word, now! and ain"t it lucky for the kid? You be a man o" money, Mr.
Harris--he"ll want for nothing with you."
"He"ll want for nothing no more to the longest day he lives," answered Harris.
"Ah, sir," said Mrs. Nelson, "he--he won"t live long; he"ll want for nothing any more, sir, in the Paradise of G.o.d."
"Shut up!" said Harris roughly. "Ye"re all with yer grumblin"s and moans jest like other women."
"And what message am I to give to Sue--poor girl--when she comes "ome?"
called Mrs. Nelson after him.
But Harris made no reply to this; only his steps rang out hard and firm and cruel on the frosty ground.
CHAPTER XXII.
NEWS OF SUE.
The next morning, when Connie awoke, she remembered all the dreadful things that had happened. She was home again. That strange, mysterious man, Simeon Stylites, had let her go. How awful would have been her fate but for him!
"He were a wery kind man," thought Connie. "And now I must try to forget him. I must never mention his name, nor think of him no more for ever.
That"s the way I can serve him best--pore Mr. Simeon! He had a very genteel face, and w"en he spoke about his little sister it were real touching. But I mustn"t think of him, for, ef I do, some day I might let his name slip, an" that "ud do him a hurt."
Connie"s thoughts, therefore, quickly left Simeon Stylites, Agnes Coppenger, Freckles, Nutmeg, and Corkscrew, and returned to the exciting fact that Sue was now missing, and that Giles was under her own father"s roof.
She sprang out of bed, and quickly dressing herself, entered the general sitting-room. She was surprised to find that her father had taken his breakfast and had gone; that Giles was sitting up, looking very pretty, with his little head against the white pillow, and the crimson and gold shawl covering his couch.
"Why, Connie," he said, the minute he saw her, "wot a silly chap I wor yesterday! It"s all as plain now as plain can be--I know everything now."
"Wottever do you mean?" said Connie. "But don"t talk too much, Giles, till I ha" got yer yer breakfast."
"Bless yer!" said Giles, with a weak laugh, "I ha" had my breakfast an hour and a half ago--yer father guv it to me. He be a wery kind man."
"My father guv you your breakfast?" said Connie.
She felt that wonders would never cease. Never before had Harris been known to think of any one but himself.
"Set down by me, Connie; you can"t do naught for your breakfast until the kettle boils. I"ll tell yer now w"ere Sue is."
"Where?" asked Connie. "Oh Giles! have yer heard of her?"
"Course I "ave--I mean, it"s all as clear as clear can be. It"s only that Sue "ave more money than she told me "bout, and that she"s a-tryin"
to give me my "eart"s desire."
"Your "eart"s desire, Giles?"
"Yus--her an" me "ave always "ad our dream; and dear Sue--she"s a-makin"
it come to pa.s.s, that"s all. It"s as plain as plain can be. She"s a-gone to the country."
"To the country? Oh no, Giles; I don"t think so. Wottever "ud take her to the country at this time o" year?"
"It"s there she be," said Giles. "She knew as I wanted dreadful to "ear wot it were like, an" she "ave gone. Oh Connie, you went to the country; but she didn"t guess that. She ha" gone--dear Sue "ave--to find out all for herself; an" she thought it "ud be a rare bit of a s"prise for me. I must make the most of it w"en I see her, and ax her about the flowers and everything. She"s sartin to be back to-day. Maybe, too, she could get work at plain sewin" in the country; an" she an" me could live in a little cottage, an" see the sun in the sky, and "ear the birds a singin". It"s a"most like "eaven to think of the country--ain"t it, Connie?"
"Yus," said Connie, "the country"s beautiful; but wicked people come out o" Lunnon to it, an" then it"s sad. An" there"s no flowers a-growin" in the fields and "edges in the winter, Giles--an" there"s no birds a-singin"."
"Oh! but that "ull come back," said Giles. "You can eat yer breakfast now, Connie, an" then arter that we"ll talk more about the country. You _ain"t_ goin" to work to-day--be you, Connie?"
"Oh no," said Connie; "I ha" lost that place, an" I dunno w"ere to find another. But there"s no hurry," she added, "and I like best now to be along o" you."
Connie then ate her breakfast, and Giles lay with his eyes closed and a smile of contentment on his face.
In the course of the morning there came an unlooked-for visitor.
A funny-looking, red-haired boy entered the room. Seeing Giles asleep, he held up his finger warningly to Connie, and stealing on tiptoe until he got opposite to her, he sat down on the floor.
"Wull, an" wottever do yer want?" asked Connie.
"Hush!" said the red-haired boy.
He pointed to Giles. This action on the part of a total stranger seemed so absurd to Connie that she burst out laughing. The red-haired boy never smiled. He continued to fix his round, light-blue eyes on her face with imperturbable gravity.
"Wull," he exclaimed under his breath, "ef she ain"t more of a Cinderella than t" other! Oh, wouldn"t the Prince give _her_ the gla.s.s slipper! Poor, poor Cinderella at "ome! _you"ve_ no chance now. Ain"t she jest lovely! I call her hangelic! My word! I could stare at that "ere beauteous face for hiver."
As these thoughts crept up to the fertile brain of Pickles his lips moved and he nodded his head, so that Connie really began to think he was bewitched.
"Wottever do you want?" she whispered; and, fortunately for them both, at that juncture Giles stirred and opened his eyes.
"That"s right!" cried Pickles. "Now I can let off the safety-valve!"
He gave a sigh of relief.
"Whoever"s he?" asked Giles, looking from the red-faced boy to Connie.
But before she had time to reply, Pickles sprang to his feet, made a somersault up and down the room, then stood with his arms akimbo just in front of Giles.
"I"m glad as you hintroduced the word "he," young un; hotherwise, from the looks of yer both, you seems to liken me to a monster. Yer want to know who"s _he_? He"s a boy--a full-grown human boy--something like yerself, only not so flabby by a long chalk."
"But wot did you want? and wot"s yer name, boy?" said Connie, who could not help laughing again.