lessness, and the light of the
street-lamp upon it. At length he found himself nodding, and he knew
then it was time to put the baby down, lest he should let him fall. So
he rose from the little three-legged stool, and laid the baby in the
cradle, and covered him up--it was well it was a warm night, and he did
not want much covering--and then he all but staggered out of the door,
he was so tipsy himself with sleep.

"Wife," said the cabman, turning towards the bed, "I do somehow believe
that wur a angel just gone. Did you see him, wife? He warn't wery big,
and he hadn't got none o' them wingses, you know. It wur one o' them
baby-angels you sees on the gravestones, you know."

"Nonsense, hubby!" said his wife; "but it's just as good. I might say
better, for you can ketch hold of him when you like. That's little
Diamond as everybody knows, and a duck o' diamonds he is! No woman could
wish for a better child than he be."

"I ha' heerd on him in the stable, but I never see the brat afore. Come,
old girl, let bygones be bygones, and gie us a kiss, and we'll go to
bed."

The cabman kept his cab in another yard, although he had his room in
this. He was often late in coming home, and was not one to take notice
of children, especially when he was tipsy, which was oftener than not.
Hence, if he had ever seen Diamond, he did not know him. But his wife
knew him well enough, as did every one else who lived all day in the
yard. She was a good-natured woman. It was she who had got the fire
lighted and the tea ready for them when Diamond and his mother came home
from Sandwich. And her husband was not an ill-natured man either, and
when in the morning he recalled not only Diamond's visit, but how he
himself had behaved to his wife, he was very vexed with himself, and
gladdened his poor wife's heart by telling her how sorry he was. And for
a whole week after, he did not go near the public-house, hard as it was
to avoid it, seeing a certain rich brewer had built one, like a trap to
catch souls and bodies in, at almost every corner he had to pass on his
way home. Indeed, he was never quite so bad after that, though it was
some time before he began really to reform.

CHAPTER XIX. DIAMOND'S FRIENDS

ONE day when old Diamond was standing with his nose in his bag between
Pall Mall and Cockspur Street, and his master was reading the newspaper
on the box of his cab, which was the last of a good many in the row,
little Diamond got