"Well, he might," said Mrs Hatchard, "and then again he mightn"t. But I tell you what, Master David, if yonder little pig lives, and providin"
the vicar has no objections, I"ll give him to you. You always fancied pigs, didn"t you now?"
David was still leaning fondly over the basket, and made no reply at first. It took some time to fully understand the reality of such a splendid offer.
"Come, Davie," said Miss Grey, "we must say good-bye and go and find the others."
Then he got up, and held out his hand gravely to Mrs Hatchard.
"Good-bye," he said. "Thank you. I hope you"ll accede in rearing the Antony pig. I should like to have it very much, if father will let me."
David went home from the farm hardly able to believe in his own good fortune, but according to his custom he said very little.
The matter was discussed freely, however, by the other children, and it was so interesting that it lasted them all the way back. Would the pig live? they wondered, and if it did, would their father let David have it? Where would it live? What would David call the pig if he did get it? This last inquiry was put by Ambrose, and he felt quite rebuked when his brother replied scornfully, "Antony, of course."
But there was some demur on the part of the vicar when he was informed of the proposed addition to his live stock.
"I don"t like to disappoint you, my boy," he said, "but you know Andrew has plenty to do already. He has the garden to look after, and the cows, and my horse. I don"t think I could ask him to undertake anything more."
Poor little David"s face fell, and his underlip was pushed out piteously. He would not have cried for the world, and none of the children ever thought of questioning what their father said; so he stood silent, though he felt that the world without the Antony pig would be empty indeed.
"Do you want it very much, Davie?" said the vicar, looking up from his writing at the mournful little face.
"Yes, father, I do," said David, and with all his resolution he could not choke back a little catching sob as he spoke.
"Well, then, look here," said his father; "if you will promise me to take entire charge of it, and never to trouble Andrew, or call him away from his work to attend to it, you shall have the pig. But if I find that it is neglected in any way, I shall send it back at once to Farmer Hatchard. Is that a bargain?"
"Oh, yes, indeed," cried the delighted David; and he ran out to tell the result of his interview to the anxious children waiting outside the study door.
So David was to have the pig; and, with the a.s.sistance of Ambrose and a few words of advice from Andrew, he at once began to prepare a habitation for it. Fortunately there was an old sty still in existence, which only wanted a little repairing, and everything was soon ready.
But the rearing of the Antony pig still hung trembling in the balance, and some anxious weeks were pa.s.sed by David; he called to inquire after it as often as he possibly could, and, to his great joy, found it on each occasion more lively and thriving--thanks to Mrs Hatchard"s devoted care.
And at last the long-wished-for day arrived. Antony was driven to his new home with a string tied round his leg, in the midst of a triumphal procession of children, and David"s joy and exultation were complete.
There was certainly no danger of his neglecting his charge, or of asking anyone to a.s.sist him in its service; never was pig so well cared for as Antony, and as time went on he showed an intelligent appreciation of David"s attentions not unmixed with affection. Perhaps in consequence of these attentions he soon developed much shrewdness of character, and had many little humorous ways which were the pride of his master"s heart. The two were fast friends, and seemed to understand each other without the need of speech, though David had been known to talk to his pig when he believed himself to be in private. As for the _selling_ part of the plan, it seemed quite to have faded away, and when Andrew said with a grin:
"Well, young master, t"pig "ull soon be ready for market noo," David got quite hot and angry, and changed the subject at once.
On rare occasions Antony was conducted, making unctuous snorts of pleasure, into the field to taste a little fresh gra.s.s and rout about with his inquisitive nose; but the garden was of course forbidden ground. Therefore, when he was once discovered in the act of enjoying himself amongst Andrew"s potatoes, the consternation was extreme. It was Nancy who saw him, as she sat one morning learning a French verb, and staring meanwhile absently out of the schoolroom window. Her expression changed suddenly from utter vacancy to keen interest, and her monotonous murmur of "J"ai, Tu as, Il a," to a shout of, "Oh, Davie, there"s Antony in the garden!"
"Nancy," said Miss Grey severely, "you know it is against rules to talk in lesson time. Be quiet."
"But I can"t really, Miss Grey," said Nancy, craning her neck to get a better view of the culprit; "he"s poking up the potatoes like anything.
Andrew _will_ be so cross. You"d better just let us go and chase him back again."
The excitement had now risen so high that Miss Grey felt this would really be the best plan, for attention to lessons seemed impossible, and soon the four children were rushing helter-skelter across the garden in pursuit of Antony. With a frisk of his tail and a squeak of defiance he led the chase in fine style, choosing Andrew"s most cherished borders.
What a refreshment it was, after the tedium of French verbs and English history, and what a pity when Antony, after a brave resistance, was at length hustled back into his sty!
Whether the door was insecure, or not too carefully fastened after this, remains uncertain; but it is a fact that these pig-chases came to be of pretty frequent occurrence, and always happened, by some strange chance, during school hours. The cry of, "Pig out!" and the consequent rush of children in pursuit, at last reached such a pitch that both Miss Grey and the much-tried Andrew made complaint to the vicar. Miss Grey declared that discipline was becoming impossible, and Andrew that there would not be a "martal vegetable in the garden if Master David"s pig got out so often." Then the vicar made a rule to this effect:
"If David"s pig is seen in the garden again, it goes back that same day to Farmer Hatchard."
The vicar"s rules were not things to be disregarded, and his threats were always carried out. David and Ambrose might have been seen with a large hammer and nails very busy at the pig-sty that afternoon, and Antony"s visits to the garden ceased, until one unlucky occasion when David was away from home, and it fell out in the following manner:--
In the cathedral town of Nearminster, ten miles from Easney, lived Pennie"s G.o.dmother Miss Unity Cheffins, and it was Mr and Mrs Hawthorn"s custom to pay her an annual visit of two or three days, taking each of the four elder children with them in turn. It was an occasion much antic.i.p.ated by the latter, but more for the honour of the thing than from any actual pleasure connected with it, for Miss Unity was rather a stiff old lady, and particular in her notions as to their proper behaviour. She was fond of saying, "In _my_ time young people did so and so," and of noticing any little failure in politeness, or even any personal defect. She was a rich old lady, and lived in a great square house just inside the Cathedral Close; it was sombrely furnished, and full of dark old portraits, and rare china bowls and knick-knacks, which last Miss Unity thought a great deal of, and dusted carefully with her own hands. Amongst the many injunctions impressed upon the children, they were told never to touch the china, and there were indeed so many pitfalls to be avoided, that the visit was not by any means an unmixed pleasure to Mrs Hawthorn. The children themselves, however, though they missed the freedom of their home, and were a little afraid of the upright Miss Unity, managed to extract enjoyment from it, and always looked enviously upon the one of their number whose turn it was to go to Nearminster.
And now the time had come round again, and it was David"s turn to go, but there was one drawback to his pleasure, because he must leave the pig. Who could say that some careless hand might not leave the door of the sty open or insecurely fastened during his absence? Then Antony"s fate would be certain, for Andrew was only too eager to carry out the vicar"s sentence of banishment, and was on the watch for the least excuse to hurry the pig back to the farm.
After turning it over in his mind, David came to the conclusion that he could best ensure Antony"s safety by placing him under someone"s special care, and he chose Nancy for this important office.
"You _will_ take care of him, won"t you?" he said, drawing up very close to her and fixing earnest eyes upon her face, "and see that his gate is always fastened."
Nancy was deeply engaged in painting a picture in the _Pilgrim"s Progress_; she paused a moment to survey the effect of Apollyon in delicate sea-green, and said rather absently:
"Of course I will. And so will Ambrose and so will Pennie."
"No, but I want you partickerlerlery to do it," said David, bungling dreadfully over the long word in his anxiety--"you _more_ than the others."
"All right," said Nancy with her head critically on one side.
"I want you to promise three things," went on David--"to keep his gate shut, and to give him acorns, and not to let d.i.c.kie poke a stick at him."
"Oh, yes, I"ll promise," said Nancy readily.
"Truly and faithfully?" continued David, edging still closer up to her; "you won"t forget?"
"No, I really won"t," said Nancy with an impatient jerk of her elbow; "don"t you worry me any more about it."
"I took care of your dormouse when _you_ went," continued David, "and didn"t forget it once. So you ought to take care of my pig, it"s only fair."
"Well, don"t I tell you I"m going to?" said Nancy, laying down her paint-brush with an air of desperation. "I sha"n"t do it a bit more for your asking so often. Do leave off."
"You"ll only be away three days, Davie," said Pennie, looking up from her book; "we can manage to take care of Antony that little while I should think."
"Well," said David, "Nancy"s got to be "sponsible, because I took care of her mouse."
"If I were you," said Ambrose with a superior air, "I wouldn"t use such long words; you never say them right."
"I say," interrupted Pennie, putting down her book, "what do you all like best when you go to Nearminster? I know what _I_ like best."
"Well, what is it?" said Ambrose; "you say first, and then Nancy, and then me, and then David."
"Well," said Pennie, clasping her knees with much enjoyment, "what I like best is going to church in the Cathedral in the afternoon. When it"s a little bit dusky, you know, but not lighted up, and all the pillars look misty, and a long way off, and there are very few people.
And then the boys sing, and you feel quite good and just a little bit sad; I can"t think why it is that I never feel like that in our church; I suppose it"s a cathedral feeling. That"s what I like best. Now you, Nancy."
"Why," said Nancy without the least hesitation. "I like that little Chinese mandarin that stands on the mantel-piece in Miss Unity"s sitting-room, and wags its head."
"And _I_ like the drive back here best," said Ambrose, "because, when we"re going there"s only Miss Unity to see at the end; but when we get here there are all the animals and things."
"I don"t call that liking Nearminster. I call it liking home," said Nancy. "Now, it"s your turn, David."