lling me "his very own," gave me such an energetic tap with
the new stick, that I went over the smooth pavement as if I had been
oiled; ran sharply over an old gentleman's gouty foot, and only checked
myself in my mad career by slipping through some railings, and tumbling
down a strange area.

"I could see nothing at first, but heard the old gentleman bawling
angrily for the police; but, very luckily, as usual, none happened to be
about, and after a little while the hubbub subsided, and the old
gentleman, after abusing and threatening my poor Teddy well, limped off,
and my disconsolate owner had time to peep down the areas, and try to
recover his lost property. I had no idea of remaining buried in that
dismal den, so I managed to roll off the flower pot I had fallen on, and
by the jangle attracted his attention. He rang the bell, and coaxed the
maid-servant to let him go down and fetch me.

"'Get along with you, yer impedent monkey, a-ringing at people's bells,
and a-calling one up in the middle of cooking! I shan't let you in! _I_
don't care for your hoop, nor you neither!'

"'Oh, do Mary! there's a kind girl,' coaxed Teddy; 'I know you're
good-natured, because you've got such a laughish mouth! _Do_ give me my
hoop, it's just new, and I've saved up for it ever so long, you can't
think!'

"'Bless the boy's imperence,' said she, half laughing, 'who told you my
name was Mary, which it isn't, for it's Jane! You're very saucy, and
have no call to make rude remarks about my mouth. Go along with with ye,
there's your precious hoop!'

"And so saying, she gave me a toss which sent me spinning up into
daylight again, and nearly knocked off a grand young lady's smart hat,
who walked grumbling off, looking daggers at Teddy, and muttering
something about "pests of children!"

"Teddy, however, was too rejoiced to regain me to care for anything
else, and shouting his thanks to Jane, he set off home at a good pace,
taking me on his arm till he got out of the paved street into the green
lanes. And here for many a day we ran races, and one of us at least was
mightily tired. At last, one unlucky day Teddy's mother sent him on an
errand to a shop in the middle of the most frequented street, and he had
now become so used to his indispensable companion, that he took me with
him, of course. We went, on very merrily, till we came to the corner of
a crossing, when, thinking he could send me over before a great coal
waggon came too near,