e to give the boy all the advantage.

"I will tell you all I know about it," said Nanny. "The day before
yesterday, a lady came to see us--a very beautiful lady, and very
beautifully dressed. I heard the matron say to her that it was very
kind of her to come in blue and gold; and she answered that she knew
we didn't like dull colours. She had such a lovely shawl on, just like
redness dipped in milk, and all worked over with flowers of the same
colour. It didn't shine much, it was silk, but it kept in the shine.
When she came to my bedside, she sat down, just where you are sitting,
Diamond, and laid her hand on the counterpane. I was sitting up, with my
table before me ready for my tea. Her hand looked so pretty in its blue
glove, that I was tempted to stroke it. I thought she wouldn't be angry,
for everybody that comes to the hospital is kind. It's only in the
streets they ain't kind. But she drew her hand away, and I almost cried,
for I thought I had been rude. Instead of that, however, it was only
that she didn't like giving me her glove to stroke, for she drew it
off, and then laid her hand where it was before. I wasn't sure, but I
ventured to put out my ugly hand."

"Your hand ain't ugly, Nanny," said Diamond; but Nanny went on--

"And I stroked it again, and then she stroked mine,--think of that! And
there was a ring on her finger, and I looked down to see what it was
like. And she drew it off, and put it upon one of my fingers. It was a
red stone, and she told me they called it a ruby."

"Oh, that is funny!" said Diamond. "Our new horse is called Ruby. We've
got another horse--a red one--such a beauty!"

But Nanny went on with her story.

"I looked at the ruby all the time the lady was talking to me,--it was
so beautiful! And as she talked I kept seeing deeper and deeper into the
stone. At last she rose to go away, and I began to pull the ring off
my finger; and what do you think she said?--'Wear it all night, if you
like. Only you must take care of it. I can't give it you, for some one
gave it to me; but you may keep it till to-morrow.' Wasn't it kind of
her? I could hardly take my tea, I was so delighted to hear it; and I
do think it was the ring that set me dreaming; for, after I had taken my
tea, I leaned back, half lying and half sitting, and looked at the ring
on my finger. By degrees I began to dream. The ring grew larger and
larger, until at last I found that I was not looking at a red stone, but
at