h they are agreed--that point was the admitted fact that
Tony Johnson was "delicate," and the difference lay chiefly in this:
Mrs. Johnson said that Tony was delicate--meaning that he was more
finely strung, more sensitive, a properer subject for pampering and
petting than Jackanapes, and that, consequently, Jackanapes was to
blame for leading Tony into scrapes which resulted in his being
chilled, frightened, or (most frequently) sick. But when Miss
Jessamine said that Tony Johnson was delicate, she meant that he was
more puling, less manly, and less healthily brought up than
Jackanapes, who, when they got into mischief together, was certainly
not to blame because his friend could not get wet, sit a kicking
donkey, ride in the giddy-go-round, bear the noise of a cracker, or
smoke brown paper with impunity, as he could.

Not that there was ever the slightest quarrel between the ladies. It
never even came near it, except the day after Tony had been so very
sick with riding Bucephalus in the giddy-go-round. Mrs. Johnson had
explained to Miss Jessamine that the reason Tony was so easily upset,
was the unusual sensitiveness (as a doctor had explained it to her) of
the nervous centres in her family--"Fiddlestick!" So Mrs. Johnson
understood Miss Jessamine to say, but it appeared that she only said
"Treaclestick!" which is quite another thing, and of which Tony was
undoubtedly fond.

[Illustration]

It was at the fair that Tony was made ill by riding on Bucephalus.
Once a year the Goose Green became the scene of a carnival. First of
all, carts and caravans were rumbling up all along, day and night.
Jackanapes could hear them as he lay in bed, and could hardly sleep
for speculating what booths and whirligigs he should find fairly
established, when he and his dog Spitfire went out after breakfast. As
a matter of fact, he seldom had to wait long for news of the Fair. The
Postman knew the window out of which Jackanapes' yellow head would
come, and was ready with his report.

"Royal Theayter, Master Jackanapes, in the old place, but be careful
o' them seats, sir; they're rickettier than ever. Two sweets and a
ginger-beer under the oak tree, and the Flying Boats is just a-coming
along the road."

No doubt it was partly because he had already suffered severely in the
Flying Boats, that Tony collapsed so quickly in the giddy-go-round. He
only mounted Bucephalus (who was spotted, and had no tail) because
Jackanapes urged him, an