a little chat with me--to-day, some time?”

“He must have his dinner first,” said Diamond. “No, he's got his dinner

with him to-day. It must be after he's had his tea.”

“Of course, of course. Any time will do. I shall be at home all day.”

“Very well, sir. I will tell him. You may be sure he will come. My

father thinks you a very kind gentleman, and I know he is right, for I

know your very own self, sir.”

Mr. Raymond smiled, and as they had now reached his door, they parted,

and Diamond went home. As soon as his father entered the house, Diamond

gave him Mr. Raymond's message, and recounted the conversation that had

preceded it. His father said little, but took thought-sauce to his bread

and butter, and as soon as he had finished his meal, rose, saying:

“I will go to your friend directly, Diamond. It would be a grand thing

to get a little more money. We do want it.” Diamond accompanied his

father to Mr. Raymond's door, and there left him.

He was shown at once into Mr. Raymond's study, where he gazed with

some wonder at the multitude of books on the walls, and thought what a

learned man Mr. Raymond must be.

Presently Mr. Raymond entered, and after saying much the same about

his old horse, made the following distinct proposal--one not

over-advantageous to Diamond's father, but for which he had

reasons--namely, that Joseph should have the use of Mr. Raymond's horse

while he was away, on condition that he never worked him more than six

hours a day, and fed him well, and that, besides, he should take Nanny

home as soon as she was able to leave the hospital, and provide for her

as one of his own children, neither better nor worse--so long, that is,

as he had the horse.

Diamond's father could not help thinking it a pretty close bargain. He

should have both the girl and the horse to feed, and only six hours'

work out of the horse.

“It will save your own horse,” said Mr. Raymond.

“That is true,” answered Joseph; “but all I can get by my own horse is

only enough to keep us, and if I save him and feed your horse and the

girl--don't you see, sir?”

“Well, you can go home and think about it, and let me know by the end of

the week. I am in no hurry before then.”

So Joseph went home and recounted the proposal to his wife, adding that

he did not think there was much advantage to be got out of it.

“Not much that way, husband,” said Diamond's mother; “but there would be

an advantage, and what matter who gets it!”

“I don't see it,” answered her husband. “Mr. Raymond is a gentleman of

property, and I don't discover any much good in helping him to save a

little more. He won't easily get one to make such a bargain, and I

don't mean he shall get me. It would be a loss rather than a gain--I do

think--at least if I took less work out of our own horse.”

“One hour would make a difference to old Diamond. But that's not the

main point. You must think what an advantage it would be to the poor

girl that hasn't a home to go to!”

“She is one of Diamond's friends,” thought his father.

“I could be kind to her, you know,” the mother went on, “and teach her

housework, and how to handle a baby; and, besides, she would help

me, and I should be the stronger for it, and able to do an odd bit of

charing now and then, when I got the chance.”

“I won't hear of that,” said her husband. “Have the girl by all means.

I'm ashamed I did not think of both sides of the thing at once. I wonder

if the horse is a great eater. To be sure, if I gave Diamond two hours'

additional rest, it would be all the better for the old bones of him,

and there would be four hours extra out of the other horse. That would

give Diamond something to do every day. He could drive old Diamond after

dinner, and I could take the other horse out for six hours after tea,

or in the morning, as I found best. It might pay for the keep of both of

them,--that is, if I had good luck. I should like to oblige Mr. Raymond,

though he be rather hard, for he has been very kind to our Diamond,

wife. Hasn't he now?”

“He has indeed, Joseph,” said his wife, and there the conversation

ended.

Diamond's father went the very next day to Mr. Raymond, and accepted his

proposal; so that the week after having got another stall in the same

stable, he had two horses instead of one. Oddly enough, the name of the

new horse was Ruby, for he was a very red chestnut. Diamond's name came

from a white lozenge on his forehead. Young Diamond said they were rich

now, with such a big diamond and such a big ruby.

NANNY was not fit to be moved for some time yet, and Diamond went to see

her as often as he could. But being more regularly engaged now, seeing

he went out every day for a few hours with old Diamond, and had his baby

to mind, and one of the horses to attend to, he could not go so often as

he would have liked.

One evening, as he sat by her bedside, she said to him:

“I've had such a beautiful dream, Diamond! I should like to tell it

you.”

“Oh! do,” said Diamond; “I am so fond of dreams!”

“She must have been to the back of the north wind,” he said to himself.

“It was a very foolish dream, you know. But somehow it was so pleasant!

What a good thing it is that you believe the dream all the time you are

in it!”

My readers must not suppose that poor Nanny was able to say what she

meant so well as I put it down here. She had never been to school, and

had heard very little else than vulgar speech until she came to the

hospital. But I have been to school, and although that could never make

me able to dream so well as Nanny, it has made me able to tell her dream

better than she could herself. And I am the more desirous of doing this

for her that I have already done the best I could for Diamond's dream,

and it would be a shame to give the boy all the advantage.

“I will tell you all I know about it,” said Nanny. “The day before

yesterday, a lady came to see us--a very beautiful lady, and very

beautifully dressed. I heard the matron say to her that it was very

kind of her to come in blue and gold; and she answered that she knew

we didn't like dull colours. She had such a lovely shawl on, just like

redness dipped in milk, and all worked over with flowers of the same

colour. It didn't shine much, it was silk, but it kept in the shine.

When she came to my bedside, she sat down, just where you are sitting,

Diamond, and laid her hand on the counterpane. I was sitting up, with my

table before me ready for my tea. Her hand looked so pretty in its blue

glove, that I was tempted to stroke it. I thought she wouldn't be angry,

for everybody that comes to the hospital is kind. It's only in the

streets they ain't kind. But she drew her hand away, and I almost cried,

for I thought I had been rude. Instead of that, however, it was only

that she didn't like giving me her glove to stroke, for she drew it

off, and then laid her hand where it was before. I wasn't sure, but I

ventured to put out my ugly hand.”

“Your hand ain't ugly, Nanny,” said Diamond; but Nanny went on--

“And I stroked it again, and then she stroked mine,--think of that! And

there was a ring on her finger, and I looked down to see what it was

like. And she drew it off, and put it upon one of my fingers. It was a