第81章

"I beg your pardon, sir," he said at length. "I've been so miserable, and for so long, that I never thought you was only a chaffing of me when you said I hadn't used the horses well. I did grumble at you, sir, many's the time in my trouble; but whenever I said anything, my little Diamond would look at me with a smile, as much as to say:

"I know him better than you, father;" and upon my word, I always thought the boy must be right.""Will you sell me old Diamond, then?"

"I will, sir, on one condition--that if ever you want to part with him or me, you give me the option of buying him. I could not part with him, sir. As to who calls him his, that's nothing;for, as Diamond says, it's only loving a thing that can make it yours--and I do love old Diamond, sir, dearly."

"Well, there's a cheque for twenty pounds, which I wrote to offer you for him, in case I should find you had done the handsome thing by Ruby. Will that be enough?""It's too much, sir. His body ain't worth it--shoes and all.

It's only his heart, sir--that's worth millions--but his heart'll be mine all the same--so it's too much, sir.""I don't think so. It won't be, at least, by the time we've got him fed up again. You take it and welcome. Just go on with your cabbing for another month, only take it out of Ruby and let Diamond rest;and by that time I shall be ready for you to go down into the country.""Thank you, sir. thank you. Diamond set you down for a friend, sir, the moment he saw you. I do believe that child of mine knows more than other people.""I think so, too," said Mr. Raymond as he walked away.

He had meant to test Joseph when he made the bargain about Ruby, but had no intention of so greatly prolonging the trial. He had been taken ill in Switzerland, and had been quite unable to return sooner.

He went away now highly gratified at finding that he had stood the test, and was a true man.

Joseph rushed in to his wife who had been standing at the window anxiously waiting the result of the long colloquy. When she heard that the horses were to go together in double harness, she burst forth into an immoderate fit of laughter. Diamond came up with the baby in his arms and made big anxious eyes at her, saying--"What is the matter with you, mother dear? Do cry a little.

It will do you good. When father takes ever so small a drop of spirits, he puts water to it.""You silly darling!" said his mother; "how could I but laugh at the notion of that great fat Ruby going side by side with our poor old Diamond?""But why not, mother? With a month's oats, and nothing to do, Diamond'll be nearer Ruby's size than you will father's. I think it's very good for different sorts to go together. Now Ruby will have a chance of teaching Diamond better manners.""How dare you say such a thing, Diamond?" said his father, angrily.

"To compare the two for manners, there's no comparison possible.

Our Diamond's a gentleman."

"I don't mean to say he isn't, father; for I daresay some gentlemen judge their neighbours unjustly. That's all I mean.

Diamond shouldn't have thought such bad things of Ruby. He didn't try to make the best of him.""How do you know that, pray?"

"I heard them talking about it one night.""Who?"

"Why Diamond and Ruby. Ruby's an angel."Joseph stared and said no more. For all his new gladness, he was very gloomy as he re-harnessed the angel, for he thought his darling Diamond was going out of his mind.

He could not help thinking rather differently, however, when he found the change that had come over Ruby. Considering his fat, he exerted himself amazingly, and got over the ground with incredible speed.

So willing, even anxious, was he to go now, that Joseph had to hold him quite tight.

Then as he laughed at his own fancies, a new fear came upon him lest the horse should break his wind, and Mr. Raymond have good cause to think he had not been using him well. He might even suppose that he had taken advantage of his new instructions, to let out upon the horse some of his pent-up dislike; whereas in truth, it had so utterly vanished that he felt as if Ruby, too, had been his friend all the time.