oor of their
lodging-room, and, without waiting for an answer, entered.

Franky's face was flushed, and he was trembling with excitement,--partly
with pleasure, but partly with some eager wish not yet granted.

"He wants sore to take Peter with him," said his mother to Libbie, as if
referring the matter to her. The boy looked imploringly at her.

"He would like it, I know; for one thing, he'd miss me sadly, and
chirrup for me all day long, he'd be so lonely. I could not be half so
happy a-thinking on him, left alone here by himself. Then, Libbie, he's
just like a Christian, so fond of flowers and green leaves, and them
sort of things. He chirrups to me so when mother brings me a pennyworth
of wall-flowers to put round his cage. He would talk if he could, you
know; but I can tell what he means quite as one as if he spoke. Do let
Peter go, Libbie; I'll carry him in my own arms."

So Jupiter was allowed to be of the party. Now Libbie had overcome the
great difficulty of conveying Franky to the boat, by offering to "slay"
for a coach, and the shouts and exclamations of the neighbours told
them that their conveyance awaited them at the bottom of the court. His
mother carried Franky, light in weight, though heavy in helplessness,
and he would hold the cage, believing that he was thus redeeming his
pledge, that Peter should be a trouble to no one. Libbie proceeded to
arrange the bundle containing their dinner, as a support in the corner
of the coach. The neighbours came out with many blunt speeches, and more
kindly wishes, and one or two of them would have relieved Margaret of
her burden, if she would have allowed it. The presence of that little
crippled fellow seemed to obliterate all the angry feelings which had
existed between his mother and her neighbours, and which had formed the
politics of that little court for many a day.

And now they were fairly off! Franky bit his lips in attempted endurance
of the pain the motion caused him; he winced and shrank, until they
were fairly on a Macadamized thoroughfare, when he closed his eyes, and
seemed desirous of a few minutes' rest. Libbie felt very shy, and very
much afraid of being seen by her employers, "set up in a coach!" and
so she hid herself in a corner, and made herself as small as possible;
while Mrs. Hall had exactly the opposite feeling, and was delighted to
stand up, stretching out of the window, and nodding to pretty nearly
every one they met or passed on the foo