Part 16 (1/2)

”P'raps Miss Earnshaw wouldn't scold me. She let me come, and I didn't fell down on purpose. But I _know_ she wouldn't let me come out again--I'm sure she wouldn't, and I do so want to get the pipes my own self. You'll take me to Mrs. Whelan's, won't you, dear Brown Smiley?”

”I'll catch it when she sees I haven't done her errant,” said Matilda.

”But never mind; she'll not be so bad with you there, maybe. Come up with me, missy, and I'll get Rebecca to wipe you a bit,” and she began the ascent of the narrow staircase, followed by Peggy.

CHAPTER IX

THE OPPOSITE HOUSE

”There was an old woman that lived in a shoe, She had so many children she didn't know what to do.”

_Nursery Rhymes._

IN spite of her misfortunes, Peggy could not help feeling very pleased at finding herself at last inside the house she had watched so often from the outside. It was certainly not a pretty house--a big person would probably have thought it a very poor and uninteresting one; but it was not dirty. The old wooden steps were scrubbed down once a week regularly, so there was nothing to strike the little girl as disagreeable, and it seemed delightfully queer and mysterious as she climbed the steep, uneven staircase, which grew darker and darker as they went on, so that but for Brown Smiley's voice in front, Peggy would not have had the least idea where she was going.

”There's Mother Whelan's door,” Matilda said in a half whisper, as if afraid of the old woman's pouncing out upon them, and Peggy wondered how she knew it, for to her everything was perfectly dark; ”but we'll go upstairs first to Rebecca,” and on they climbed.

Suddenly, what seemed for a moment a blaze of brilliant light from the contrast with the darkness where they were, broke upon them. Peggy quite started. But it was only the opening of a door.

”Is that you, Matilda-Jane? My, but you have been sharp. I should think old Whelan 'ud be pleased for onst.”

The speaker was Reddy; she stood in the doorway, her bare red arms s.h.i.+ning, as they always did, from being so often up to the elbows in soap and water.

”Oh, Rebecca, don't say nothin', but I've not been of my errant yet.

Now, don't ye begin at me--'tweren't of my fault. I was a-'urryin' along when I saw miss 'ere a-rollin' in the wet with her humberellar, and I 'ad to pick her up. She's that muddy we were afeard they'd give it her over the way--her mar's away. So I told her as you'd tidy her up a bit.

Come along, missy. Rebecca's got a good 'eart, has Rebecca; she'll clean you nicely, you'll see.”

For at the sound of Rebecca's sharp voice poor Peggy had slunk back into the friendly gloom of the staircase. But she came creeping forward now, so that Reddy saw her.

”Lor'!” said the big girl, ”little miss from the hopposite winder to be sure.”

This quite restored Peggy's courage.

”Have you seen me at the window?” she said. ”How funny! I've looked at you lotses and lotses of times, but I never thought of you looking at me.”

To which both sisters replied with their favourite exclamation, ”Lor'!”

Just then came a voice from inside.

”Shut the door there, Rebecca, can't you? If there's one thing I can't abide, and you might know it, it's a hopen door, and the draught right on baby's head.”

Rebecca took Peggy by the hand and drew her into the room, and while she was relating the story of little missy's misfortunes to her mother, little missy looked round her with the greatest interest.

It was a small room, but oh, how full of children! Dinner was being got ready ”against father and the boys coming home,” Matilda said, but where father and the boys could possibly find s.p.a.ce to stand, much less to sit, Peggy lay awake wondering for a long time that night. She counted over all those already present, and found they were all there except Lizzie, the lame girl. And besides the two babies and Alfred, whom she knew by sight, she was amazed to see a fourth, a very tiny doll of a thing--the tiniest thing she had ever seen, but which they all were as proud of as if there had never been a baby among them before. At this moment it was reposing in the arms of Mary-Hann; Light Smiley, whose real name was Sarah, you remember, was taking charge of the two big babies in one corner, while Reddy and her mother were busy at the fire, and ”Halfred” was amusing himself quietly with some marbles, apparently his natural occupation.

What a lot of them! Peggy began to feel less sure that she would like to have as many sisters as the Smileys. Still they all looked happy, and their mother, whom Peggy had never seen before, had really a very kind face.

”I'll see to the pot, Rebecca,” she said; ”just you wipe missy's frock a bit. 'Twill be none the worse, you'll see. And so your dear mar's away missy. I 'ope the change'll do her good.”