he almost felt as if the gipsies would hear it. He
could not see Diana's face, but he trembled with fear lest Mick's bribes
should win her over. And when her words came it seemed as if his fears
were to be fulfilled.

"You _are_ a sharp one, Mick, and no mistake," she said, with a strange
hard laugh. The gipsy was too muddled in his head to notice anything
peculiar in her tone, and he took her answer for a consent.

"That's right. I thought ye'd hear reason," he said. And then he lurched
off to his own quarters.

Diana stood where she was for a moment. Suddenly she raised her hands to
her face, and Tim fancied he heard a smothered sob. Without stopping to
think what he was risking, the boy crept out of the shadow where he had
been hidden, and caught hold of her skirts just as she was turning to
mount into the van where the children were.

"Diana," he said breathlessly, "I've heard all he said. You don't mean
to take part with him, do you? You'll never help to sell those pretty
babies like that? I'll do anything--anything you tell me--if you'll join
with me to get them sent home."

In her turn Diana caught hold of him and held him fast.

"Tim," she said, "you want to get off yourself, and you'd do your best
for them. I've seen it. But alone you'd never manage it. I'll help you,
Tim. I won't have it on my conscience that I stood by and saw those
innocents sold to such a life. If it had been to keep them a while
longer with us, I mightn't have done anything, not just yet, not till I
saw a chance. But whatever Mick and the others say, I won't see them
taken away unless it is to go back to their own people."

"That's right, Diana," said Tim.

"And I'll help you. Keep your wits about you and be ready when I give
the sign. Now get out of the way and take care. If Mick hadn't made
himself stupid lately he'd have seen you were thinking of something. You
mustn't say a word to the children; leave them to me," and again
squeezing the boy's arm meaningly, she climbed up into the waggon, where
the two little prisoners, tired of waiting for her, had fallen fast
asleep.

Tim, for his part, tumbled into his so-called bed that night, with a
wonderfully lightened heart, and his dreams were filled with the most
joyous hopes.

CHAPTER VIII.

NEW HOPES.

"I am a friend to them and you."
_Winter's Tale._

It was a good thing Tim had some new ground of hope, for otherwise the
next day or two