Joey, very kind. 'I won't hurt 'e.' That man laughed, but the water
stood in his eyes. He'd lost such a one, he said. Children air
expensive, but it's very cutting to lose 'em. I've never seen any of the
Mortimers in that trouble yet, though."

"And you've been many a long year with them too," observed Miss
Christie.

"Ay, ma'am. Some folks air allers for change, but I've known when I was
well off and they've known when they were well off." Mr. Swan said this
in a somewhat pragmatical tone, and continued, "There's nothing but a
long course of just dealing and respect o' both sides as can buy such
digging as this here family gets out of my spade."

"Very true," said Miss Christie, who did not appear to see anything
peculiar in this self-eulogy.

"But some folks forget," continued Mr. Swan, "that transplanted trees
won't grow the first year, and others want too much for their money, and
too good of its kind; but fair and softly, thinks I; you can't buy five
shillings with threepence-halfpenny in any shop that I ever heerd of;
and when you've earned half-a-crown you can't be paid it in gold."

The next morning, while Peter sat at breakfast revolving in his mind the
delights he had lost, and wondering what Janie and Bertie and Hugh and
Nancy were about, these staunch little friends of his were
unconsciously doing the greatest damage to his future prospects--to
their most important part, as he understood them, namely, his chance of
coming to see the Mortimers again.