Diamond could not feel quite lonely. He stood staring, not at the great

warrior Orion in the sky, nor yet at the disconsolate, neglected moon

going down in the west, but at the drawing-room window with the light

shining through its green curtains. He had been in that room once or

twice that he could remember at Christmas times; for the Colemans were

kind people, though they did not care much about children.

All at once the light went nearly out: he could only see a glimmer of

the shape of the window. Then, indeed, he felt that he was left alone.

It was so dreadful to be out in the night after everybody was gone

to bed! That was more than he could bear. He burst out crying in good

earnest, beginning with a wail like that of the wind when it is waking

up.

Perhaps you think this was very foolish; for could he not go home to his

own bed again when he liked? Yes; but it looked dreadful to him to creep

up that stair again and lie down in his bed again, and know that North

Wind's window was open beside him, and she gone, and he might never see

her again. He would be just as lonely there as here. Nay, it would be

much worse if he had to think that the window was nothing but a hole in

the wall.

At the very moment when he burst out crying, the old nurse who had grown

to be one of the family, for she had not gone away when Miss Coleman did

not want any more nursing, came to the back door, which was of glass, to

close the shutters. She thought she heard a cry, and, peering out with a

hand on each side of her eyes like Diamond's blinkers, she saw something

white on the lawn. Too old and too wise to be frightened, she opened the

door, and went straight towards the white thing to see what it was. And

when Diamond saw her coming he was not frightened either, though

Mrs. Crump was a little cross sometimes; for there is a good kind

of crossness that is only disagreeable, and there is a bad kind of

crossness that is very nasty indeed. So she came up with her neck

stretched out, and her head at the end of it, and her eyes foremost of

all, like a snail's, peering into the night to see what it could be that

went on glimmering white before her. When she did see, she made a

great exclamation, and threw up her hands. Then without a word, for she

thought Diamond was walking in his sleep, she caught hold of him, and

led him towards the house. He made no objection, for he was just in

the mood to be grateful for notice of any sort, and Mrs. Crump led him

straight into the drawing-room.

Now, from the neglect of the new housemaid, the fire in Miss Coleman's

bedroom had gone out, and her mother had told her to brush her hair by

the drawing-room fire--a disorderly proceeding which a mother's wish

could justify. The young lady was very lovely, though not nearly so

beautiful as North Wind; and her hair was extremely long, for it came

down to her knees--though that was nothing at all to North Wind's hair.

Yet when she looked round, with her hair all about her, as Diamond

entered, he thought for one moment that it was North Wind, and, pulling

his hand from Mrs. Crump's, he stretched out his arms and ran towards

Miss Coleman. She was so pleased that she threw down her brush, and

almost knelt on the floor to receive him in her arms. He saw the next

moment that she was not Lady North Wind, but she looked so like her he

could not help running into her arms and bursting into tears afresh.

Mrs. Crump said the poor child had walked out in his sleep, and Diamond

thought she ought to know, and did not contradict her for anything he

knew, it might be so indeed. He let them talk on about him, and said

nothing; and when, after their astonishment was over, and Miss Coleman

had given him a sponge-cake, it was decreed that Mrs. Crump should take

him to his mother, he was quite satisfied.

His mother had to get out of bed to open the door when Mrs. Crump

knocked. She was indeed surprised to see her, boy; and having taken

him in her arms and carried him to his bed, returned and had a long

confabulation with Mrs. Crump, for they were still talking when Diamond

fell fast asleep, and could hear them no longer.

DIAMOND woke very early in the morning, and thought what a curious dream

he had had. But the memory grew brighter and brighter in his head, until

it did not look altogether like a dream, and he began to doubt whether

he had not really been abroad in the wind last night. He came to the

conclusion that, if he had really been brought home to his mother by

Mrs. Crump, she would say something to him about it, and that would

settle the matter. Then he got up and dressed himself, but, finding that

his father and mother were not yet stirring, he went down the ladder to

the stable. There he found that even old Diamond was not awake yet, for

he, as well as young Diamond, always got up the moment he woke, and

now he was lying as flat as a horse could lie upon his nice trim bed of

straw.

“I'll give old Diamond a surprise,” thought the boy; and creeping up

very softly, before the horse knew, he was astride of his back. Then

it was young Diamond's turn to have more of a surprise than he had

expected; for as with an earthquake, with a rumbling and a rocking

hither and thither, a sprawling of legs and heaving as of many backs,

young Diamond found himself hoisted up in the air, with both hands

twisted in the horse's mane. The next instant old Diamond lashed out

with both his hind legs, and giving one cry of terror young Diamond

found himself lying on his neck, with his arms as far round it as they

would go. But then the horse stood as still as a stone, except that he

lifted his head gently up to let the boy slip down to his back. For

when he heard young Diamond's cry he knew that there was nothing to

kick about; for young Diamond was a good boy, and old Diamond was a good

horse, and the one was all right on the back of the other.

As soon as Diamond had got himself comfortable on the saddle place, the

horse began pulling at the hay, and the boy began thinking. He had never

mounted Diamond himself before, and he had never got off him without

being lifted down. So he sat, while the horse ate, wondering how he was

to reach the ground.

But while he meditated, his mother woke, and her first thought was to

see her boy. She had visited him twice during the night, and found him

sleeping quietly. Now his bed was empty, and she was frightened.

“Diamond! Diamond! Where are you, Diamond?” she called out.

Diamond turned his head where he sat like a knight on his steed in

enchanted stall, and cried aloud,--

“Here, mother!”

“Where, Diamond?” she returned.

“Here, mother, on Diamond's back.”

She came running to the ladder, and peeping down, saw him aloft on the

great horse.

“Come down, Diamond,” she said.

“I can't,” answered Diamond.

“How did you get up?” asked his mother.

“Quite easily,” answered he; “but when I got up, Diamond would get up

too, and so here I am.”

His mother thought he had been walking in his sleep again, and hurried

down the ladder. She did not much like going up to the horse, for she

had not been used to horses; but she would have gone into a lion's den,

not to say a horse's stall, to help her boy. So she went and lifted him