cause he's sneaking along under the wall. Never mind; we'll
pay him some day if he only comes out."

"Doesn't he come out then?"

"No. He's nobody's boy, and sleeps in the sheds over there. One of
Brownsmith's men picked him up in the road, and brought him home in one
of the market carts. Brownsmith sent him to the workhouse, but he
always runs away and comes back. He's just like a monkey, ain't he?
Here, I must go; but I say, why don't you ask your ma to let you come
and play with us; we have rare games down the meadows, bathing, and
wading, and catching dace?"

"I should like to come," I said dolefully.

"Ah, there's no end of things to see down there--water-rats and frogs;
and there's a swan's nest, with the old bird sitting; and don't the old
cock come after you savage if you go near! Oh, we do have rare games
there on half-holidays! I wish you'd come."

"I should like to," I said.

"Ain't too proud; are you?"

"Oh no!" I said, shaking my head.

"Because I was afraid you were. Well, I shall catch it if I stop any
longer. I say, is your ma better?"

I shook my head.

"Ain't going to die, is she?"

"Oh no!" I said sharply.

"That's all right. Well, you get her to let you come. What's your
name?"

"Grant," I said.

"Grant! Grant what?"

"Dennison."

"Oh, all right, Grant! I shall call for you next half-holiday; and mind
you come."

"Stop a moment," I said. "What's your name?"

"George Day," he replied; and then my new friend trotted off, swinging
half-a-dozen books at the end of a strap, and I sat at the window
wishing that I too could go to school and have a strap to put round my
books and swing them, for my life seemed very dull.

All at once I saw something amongst the bristly young shoots of the
plum-trees along the wall, and on looking more attentively I made out
that it was the top of Shock's straw head-piece with the lid gone, and
the hair sticking out in the most comical way.

I watched him intently, fully expecting to see another great clod of
earth come over, and wishing I had something to throw back at him; but I
had nothing but a flower-pot with a geranium in it, and the shells upon
the chimney-piece, and they were Mrs Beeton's, and I didn't like to
take them.

The head came a little higher till the whole of the straw bonnet crown
was visible, and I could just make out the boy's eyes.

Of course he was watching me, and I sat and watched him, feeling that he
mu