Chapter 2

Itwasaweeklater.Philipwassittingonthefloorinthedrawing-roomatMissWatkin』shouseinOnslowgardens.Hewasanonlychildandusedtoamusinghimself.Theroomwasfilledwithmassivefurniture,andoneachofthesofaswerethreebigcushions.Therewasacushiontooineacharm-chair.Allthesehehadtakenand,withthehelpofthegiltroutchairs,lightandeasytomove,hadmadeanelaboratecaveinwhichhecouldhidehimselffromtheRedIndianswhowerelurkingbehindthecurtains.Heputhiseartothefloorandlistenedtotheherdofbuffaloesthatracedacrosstheprairie.Presently,hearingthedooropen,heheldhisbreathsothathemightnotbediscovered;butaviolenthandpulledawayachairandthecushionsfelldown.

「Younaughtyboy,MissWatkinWILLbecrosswithyou.」

「Hulloa,Emma!」hesaid.

Thenursebentdownandkissedhim,thenbegantoshakeoutthecushions,andputthembackintheirplaces.

「AmItocomehome?」heasked.「Yes,I』vecometofetchyou.」

「You』vegotanewdresson.」

Itwasineighteen-eighty-five,andsheworeabustle.Hergownwasofblackvelvet,withtightsleevesand

slopingshoulders,andtheskirthadthreelargeflounces.Sheworeablackbonnetwithvelvetstrings.Shehesitated.Thequestionshehadexpecteddidnotcome,andsoshecouldnotgivetheanswershehadprepared.

「Aren』tyougoingtoaskhowyourmammais?」shesaidatlength.

「Oh,Iforgot.Howismamma?」

Nowshewasready.

「Yourmammaisquitewellandhappy.」

「Oh,Iamglad.」

「Yourmamma』sgoneaway.Youwon』teverseeheranymore.」Philipdidnotknowwhatshemeant.

「Whynot?」

「Yourmamma』sinheaven.」

Shebegantocry,andPhilip,thoughhedidnotquiteunderstand,criedtoo.Emmawasatall,big-bonedwoman,withfairhairandlargefeatures.ShecamefromDevonshireand,notwithstandinghermanyyearsofserviceinLondon,hadneverlostthebreadthofheraccent.Hertearsincreasedheremotion,andshepressedthelittleboytoherheart.Shefeltvaguelythepityofthatchilddeprivedoftheonlyloveintheworldthatisquiteunselfish.Itseemeddreadfulthathemustbehandedovertostrangers.Butinalittlewhileshepulledherselftogether.

「YourUncleWilliamiswaitingintoseeyou,」shesaid.「Goandsaygood-byetoMissWatkin,andwe』llgohome.」

「Idon』twanttosaygood-bye,」heanswered,instinctivelyanxioustohidehistears.

「Verywell,runupstairsandgetyourhat.」

Hefetchedit,andwhenhecamedownEmmawaswaitingforhiminthehall.Heheardthesoundofvoicesinthestudybehindthedining-room.Hepaused.HeknewthatMissWatkinandhersisterweretalkingtofriends,anditseemedtohim—hewasnineyearsold—thatifhewentintheywouldbesorryforhim.

「IthinkI』llgoandsaygood-byetoMissWatkin.」

「Ithinkyou』dbetter,」saidEmma.

「GoinandtellthemI』mcoming,」hesaid.

Hewishedtomakethemostofhisopportunity.Emmaknockedatthedoorandwalkedin.Heheardherspeak.

「MasterPhilipwantstosaygood-byetoyou,miss.」

Therewasasuddenhushoftheconversation,andPhiliplimpedin.HenriettaWatkinwasastoutwoman,witharedfaceanddyedhair.Inthosedaystodyethehairexcitedcomment,andPhiliphadheardmuchgossipathomewhenhisgodmother』schangedcolour.Shelivedwithaneldersister,whohadresignedherselfcontentedlytooldage.Twoladies,whomPhilipdidnotknow,werecalling,andtheylookedathimcuriously.

「Mypoorchild,」saidMissWatkin,openingherarms.

Shebegantocry.Philipunderstoodnowwhyshehadnotbeenintoluncheonandwhysheworeablackdress.Shecouldnotspeak.

「I』vegottogohome,」saidPhilip,atlast.

HedisengagedhimselffromMissWatkin』sarms,andshekissedhimagain.Thenhewenttohersisterandbadehergood-byetoo.Oneofthestrangeladiesaskedifshemightkisshim,andhegravelygaveherpermission.Thoughcrying,hekeenlyenjoyedthesensationhewascausing;hewouldhavebeengladtostayalittlelongertobemademuchof,butfelttheyexpectedhimtogo,sohesaidthatEmmawaswaitingforhim.Hewentoutoftheroom.Emmahadgonedownstairstospeakwithafriendinthebasement,andhewaitedforheronthelanding.HeheardHenriettaWatkin』svoice.

「Hismotherwasmygreatestfriend.Ican』tbeartothinkthatshe』sdead.」

「Yououghtn』ttohavegonetothefuneral,Henrietta,」saidhersister.「Iknewitwouldupsetyou.」

Thenoneofthestrangersspoke.

「Poorlittleboy,it』sdreadfultothinkofhimquitealoneintheworld.Iseehelimps.」

「Yes,he』sgotaclub-foot.Itwassuchagrieftohismother.」

ThenEmmacameback.Theycalledahansom,andshetoldthedriverwheretogo.