praising my beauty; and I began to think I was not so
very bad after all, till one day, when the memory of all my reverses and
troubles seemed to come back over me like a thunderbolt. I was standing
out on the little green space before the cottage, in the sun, as I often
did, for Bill was very fond of mounting and riding in the sight of all
passers by. There was a low green quickset hedge dividing the cottage
garden from the road, and a open wooden gate. I heard a voice say, 'I'll
be shot if that ain't the very likeness of him. If he were only of a
dirty white, and hadn't no spots, I'd say for certain it were he.
There's a lump in his hind leg looks uncommon like the jine where he
were broken!'

"Just at this moment, George Hall and Bill came out of the cottage door,
and the speaker shuffled off rather fast, but not until I had managed to
catch a glimpse of him, and had recognised my old friend Bob, with whom
I had first eloped. And the very next day, when I was out as usual, who
should come by but "Bonnie Prince Charlie," hand in hand with little
Julia. I declare the few hairs of my mane and tail fairly stiffened at
the sight of them, and I longed to be able to trot out like a fairy
horse and ask them to get on my back, and let me carry them off to some
delightful island, and make them a real prince and princess! Dear little
Julia, she had not quite got back her nice rosy fat cheeks, but her eyes
were as bright, and her merry voice as sweet as ever, as she prattled
merrily to Charlie, who watched over her in the most careful way,
guarding the poor lame arm quite jealously from harm. I heard them
before I saw them, and knew their dear voices, bless them! in a moment.

"'You shall have a carriage and pair, Judy, at least,' said Charlie,
'and a gentle mare for riding on, with a long tail and flowing mane. And
you will be able to plait them up with ribbons, as Camilla did, you
know, for Black Auster.'

"'I would rather have a little Shetland pony,' said Julia, 'I'm _so_
afraid of big horses, Charlie!'

"'Why a pony is the most dangerous of all, Julia,' replied Charley with
a learned air; 'it is so much more frisky, and apt to run away. But
we'll take care to have one that's warranted to carry a lady.'

"'But I'm not a real grown-up lady yet, am I?' said the innocent little
girl, turning her blue wondering eyes full on Charlie, who she evidently
thought the most wonderful hero in the world. Charlie laughed, and
pulled