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."106
"your 'eart's desire, giles?"
"yus—her an' me 'ave always 'ad our dream; and dear sue—she's a-makin' it come to pass, 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 glass 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, fortunately107 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.
"ah!" said pickles, "now ye're comin' to the p'int o' bein' sensible, young 'oman. i thought at first you could only drop hangelic speeches, an' that you 'ailed from the hangel spheres; but now i see ye're a gel—oh, quite the very purtiest i hiver laid heyes on. now, as i've spoke my true mind, i'll hanswer yer questions in a discreet an' pious manner. my name is pickles—pickles, at yer sarvice."
"i never heered such a name in all my life," said connie.
"wery like not. i were christened by the proper name o' james; but no james as ever walked 'ud hold me—it didn't fit no w'y; an' pickles did. so pickles i am, an' pickles i'll be to the end o' the chapter. now, as to wot i wants—w'y; i wants a talk with that mealy-faced chap wot looks as if i'd heat him up alive."
"no, i don't," said giles. "i were only thinking as you 'ad the wery reddest 'air i iver see'd in my life."
"personal remarks air considered ill-mannered, young man. and let me tell yer as my hair's my special glory. but now to business. you can't know, i guess, wot i wants yer for."
"no, i can't," said giles.
"that's rum; and i to tike the trouble not only to wisit yer own most respectable mansion, but to foller yer 'ere in the true sperrit of kindness."
"ye're wery good; but i can't guess wot ye're up to," answered giles.
"dear, dear! the silliness o' folks! now, w'en a stranger seeks yer hout, isn't it safe to s'pose as he brings news?"
"wull, yes."
"next clue—shall i 'elp yer a bit? you 'asn't, so to speak, lost something lately—thimble, or a pair of scissors, or something o' that sort?"
"oh, it's sue! it's my darling sue;" exclaimed giles, a light breaking all over his face. "'as yer brought news of sue, boy?"
"be sue a thimble, scissors, or a gel?"108
"oh! a gel, in course—my own dear, dear, only sister."
"a little, fat, podgy kind o' woman-gel, wid a fine crop o' freckles and sandy hair?"
"yes, yes; that's she. i have bin waiting fur her hall night. where is she? please, please, pickles, where is she?"
"well, can't yer guess? where 'ud she be likely ter be? she worn't a wandering sort o' gel, as neglected her home duties, wor she?"
"oh no! she never stayed out in hall her life afore."
"she worn't, so to speak, a gel as wor given to pilfer, and might be tuk to cool herself in the lock-up."
"never—never! sue 'ud sooner die than take wot worn't her own; and i wish i wor strong enough to punch yer head fur thinkin' sech a thing," said giles, his face now crimson with indignation.
"well, softly, softly, young un; i didn't say as she did pilfer. i think that 'ere podgy gel as honest as the day. but now, can't yer guess where she his?"
"oh yes! i can guess wery well," answered giles, his face softening down. "i guessed long ago—didn't i, connie?"
"well, now, wot hever did yer guess?" asked pickles, in some amazement.
"oh! there wor but one thing to guess. there were one dream as sue and i were halways dreaming, and she have gone off widout me at last, to see wot it wor like. she'll be back hany moment, arter she have seen and found hout hall she could. sue have gone to the country, pickles."
"oh, my heyes! to the country!" exclaimed pickles. his face grew crimson, and he was obliged to leave his seat and walk to the window, where he remained with his back to the others for nearly a minute, and where he indulged in some smothered mirth.
when he turned round, however, he was as grave as a judge.
"you are clever," he said to giles.
"i'm right, ain't i?" asked giles.
"in course; you're always as right as a trivet."
"oh, i'm so glad! and does she find it wery beautiful?"
"scrumptious! fairy-like! scrumptious!"
"oh, how happy i am! and when 'ull she be back?"
"well, that's the part as may moderate your raptures; she can't exactly tell when. she sent me to tell yer as she don't exactly know. it may be to-morrow; or, agen, it mayn't be fur a week, or even more. she's hever so sorry, and she sends yer a whole pocketful o' love, but she can't tell when she'll get back."
"but what is she stayin fur?"
"oh! my heyes! wot is she staying fur? you wants ter live in a cottage in the country, don't yer?"
"why, yes, that's hour dream."
"well, ha'n't she to find hout wot the price o' them are? ha'n't she, stoo-pid?"
"i s'pose so. is that what she's staying fur?"
pickles nodded.
"you don't never tell no lies, do you, boy?"
"i! wot do yer take me fur? you can b'lieve me or not as yer pleases."
"oh! i do b'lieve yer. will yer take a message back to sue?"
"why, in course."
"tell her to have two rooms in the cottage, and plenty o' flowers hall round, and a big winder where i can look hout at the stars when i can't sleep o' nights."
"yes, i'll tell her faithful. hanythink else?"
"tell her as i love to think as she's in the country, but to come back as fast as she can; and give—give her my wery best love. and you wouldn't like to give her a kiss fur me?"
"oh! my heye! yere's a rum go. fancy me a-kissing cind—i means sue. no, young un, i hasn't the wery least hobjection in life. i'll give her two resounding smacks the wery minute as i sees her. lor'! it will be fine fun. now, good-bye. i'll come and see yer soon agen.—good-bye, my beauty. i only wishes as it wor you i wor axed ter kiss.—good-bye, giles. i'll remember wot yer said 'bout that 'ere cottage."
"be sure as the winders is big enough fur me to see the stars," called out giles after him.
