"This is jolly!" he said. "I'm so glad!"

"I don't think so much of it," said the girl. "I'm used to it,
I suppose. But I can't think how a kid like you comes to be out
all alone this time o' night."

She called him a kid, but she was not really a month older than he was;
only she had had to work for her bread, and that so soon makes
people older.

"But I shouldn't have been out so late if I hadn't got down
to help you," said Diamond. "North Wind is gone home long ago."

"I think you must ha' got out o' one o' them Hidget Asylms,"
said the girl. "You said something about the north wind afore
that I couldn't get the rights of."

So now, for the sake of his character, Diamond had to tell her
the whole story.

She did not believe a word of it. She said he wasn't such a flat
as to believe all that bosh. But as she spoke there came a great
blast of wind through the arch, and set the barrel rolling. So they
made haste to get out of it, for they had no notion of being rolled
over and over as if they had been packed tight and wouldn't hurt,
like a barrel of herrings.

"I thought we should have had a sleep," said Diamond; "but I can't
say I'm very sleepy after all. Come, let's go on again."