down as good as gold.

"And when we got to the door the people began to shout and to cheer,
and I thought they would have torn Baby to bits. It made me very
giddy, and so did the clanging of those dreadful bells; and then I
noticed that Rupert was limping, and I said, 'Oh, Rupert, have you
hurt your knee?' and he said, 'It's nothing, come to the_ Crown.' _But
there were two of the young men from Jones's shop there, and they
said, 'Don't you walk and hurt your knee, sir; we'll take you.' And
they pushed up my father's arm-chair, which had been saved and was
outside, and Rupert sat down, I believe, because he could not stand.
Then they said, 'There's room for you, miss,' and Rupert told me to
come, and I took Baby on my lap; but I felt so ill I thought I should
certainly fall out when they lifted us up.

"The way the people cheered made me very giddy; I think I shall always
feel sick when I hear hurrahing now.

"Rupert is very good if you're ill. He looked at me and said, 'You're
the bravest girl I ever knew, but don't faint if you can help it, or
Baby will fall out.'

"I didn't; and I wouldn't have fainted when we got to the_ Crown _if I
could have stopped myself by anything I could do."_




CHAPTER XVI.