BOOK VIII.—A SURPRISE-PRESENT FOR BABY

Then about next day the good old doctor rode over from the Castle very mysteriously, and asked to see Baby.

And when he had shut the door, and drawn his chair up very close, he told her in a whisper there was a Surprise-present coming for her from the King at the Castle; only she wasn't to tell any one, because it was a secret.

Then Baby opened her eyes, and whispered,

"Mayn't I know?"

But the good old doctor chuckled,

"Certainly not, my dear. You may guess—if you can," and he got up to go.

Then Baby got up too, and asked,

"When may I know?"

So the doctor answered,

"About to-morrow," and went out, chuckling.

But Baby stayed behind in the window, and guessed and guessed.

Then all of a sudden her heart leaped up; and she blushed and trembled so that she had to sit down.

So all the rest of the day she sat under the elm, very busy, making secret little clothes, that nobody was supposed to know anything about.

But of course mannikin must leave his daisies, and come and poke and pry and bother with questions, until at last Baby got up and took him by his little hand, and led him back to his hole, saying,

"You're a very naughty little man indeed. And I'm very cross with you—very cross."

But mannikin only swaggered along at her side, nodding his head very wisely, and saying,

"I know—I know," which was a very favourite saying of mannikin's.

But Baby answered very short,

"I'm sure you don't," and locked him in good and tight for the rest of the day.

And that evening when Tiny came back from the Fort, Baby hid the little clothes away, and walked about on his arm, talking poetry-talk in the twilight among the roses; and she didn't say one word about the secret.

But Tiny saw there was something up all the same. And when he went to tidy up the boot-hole for the night, mannikin came to him in tears, and begged him to get Baby to forgive him, and to say he promised not to mention one word about the little clothes.

And when Tiny heard about the little clothes, he thought,

"Now I know!" and went pale all over with excitement.

For at that time every year, the good King sends a Surprise-present to the best married girl of That Country: for that is one of the rules.

And the Surprise-present is always the same, and so jolly you can't think.

So every nice married girl wants to win it; only you can't unless you have been truly good and loving.

And Tiny knew Baby was best by far; and he believed the King knew it too.

For as he was leaving the Fort that afternoon, he had seen the King whispering in the Colonel's ear behind the water-butt.

And when the Colonel heard, he hopped up high, crying,

"Dear old Baby!"

And the Colonel was Baby's great friend.

But Tiny didn't say one word to Baby all the same, but just gave her mannikin's message instead.

Then Baby cried,

"O poor little chap!—I clean forgot him," and she ran to the boot-hole.

And when she got there she heard a tiny little noise inside.

So she undid and peeped.

And there was mannikin sobbing in a heap in the corner.

Then Baby cried,

"Why?"

But mannikin only sobbed,

"Becob you're cross."

So Baby ran to him, and said,

"Dear little mannikin!—It's nothing—only you mustn't bother with questions just now about things you can't understand."

And she sat down, and took him on her lap, and comforted him.

And mannikin leaned his head on her shoulder, and said, very sniffy,

"Lub me," for he was a sentimental little thing.

And he told Baby about his home in a cottage in the Forest far away, where he used to live with his old mother, and little lame sister, and the tortoise-shell cat, till the King came and took him.

And when he told about that, he began to cry again.

Then Baby jigged him a bit, and said,

"Now I'll tell you a secret the Queen told me last time she came round with the butter.—The King is going to let you out soon now, because at all events you try to be good. There!"

And when mannikin heard that, he sniffed and said,

"Gobblessim."

And after that Baby tied an empty reel to a thread, and gave it him.

And he quite cheered up, and bobbed the reel, and twinkled his eyes, and said he a little fisherman, trying to catch a Surprise-present for being so truly good and loving.

Next morning, as Tiny entered the Fort, all the Fellows came rushing out from the shed, shouting,

"Well done, Baby!—Good luck to you both!" for it usually leaks out who has won the Surprise-present for the year, before it is stuck up on the Castle-door.

Then Tiny stopped and said,

"But you don't know."

So all the Fellows crowded round, and they answered,

"No, we don't know. But the Queen got talking to the Junior Subaltern when he went to the Castle for his glass of milk this morning. So we next door to know."

Just then the dear old Colonel came up with Moses on his shoulder, and little Marwy, who had quite recovered from her broken heart, trotting behind.

And he stopped and patted Tiny on the back, saying,

"Ah, my dear boy!—I believe I have to congratulate you."

Then Tiny blushed and answered,

"Well, Sir, we've heard nothing from the King as yet. Still—we hope."

So the Colonel nodded very wisely and said,

"Well, we shall see what we shall see."

And he passed on to Sunday-school: for the Colonel always attended himself, and tried to get the Fellows to come too; only they always had sore throats or something, and couldn't.

Then Tiny ran home, quite sure now.

And when he got there he found a white paper pinned on to the door, saying,

I have gone to my room to wait. Don't come.

So Tiny waited down below all day.

But towards evening, he crept up, and peeped.

And there was Baby waiting by the window, nursing her pussy-kitten.

And as she nursed, she sang,

"Hushaby,
Hushaby,
Here at twilight,
Waiting, I,
Sweet-contented,
Know not why—
Hushaby,
Hushaby."

Then Tiny put his finger to his lips, and stole away without a word.

But Baby waited at the window, looking East.

Then at dusk the good old doctor came from the Castle with a basket on his arm.

And the basket was full of lovely little Stars of Bethlehem, which flower about then in That Country.

And on the basket was a label written in the King's hand,

Baby
from
The King
because
She Is
so truly
Good and Loving.

Then the old doctor went up the stairs in the dusk very quietly.

And he knocked at Baby's door and entered, the little Stars of Bethlehem shining white about him, as he went.

Then after about a bit he came downstairs smiling, the basket empty now, only for the bulrushes that had lined it.

And he came out to where Tiny was holding his white cob, and said,

"Ha, my boy!—what d'you think I've brought for you?"

Then Tiny trembled and said,

"What, Sir?"

So the good old doctor answered,

"Go to Baby's room; and you'll see." And he climbed on to his cob, and jogged away, chuckling.

And the kitten walked after him down the drive with its tail up tight.

Then Tiny came to Baby's door and knocked.

But there came no answer.

So he went in.

And within all was still and twilight.

WITHIN ALL WAS STILL AND TWILIGHT

And the only light came from the Stars of Bethlehem strewn about the floor.

And in the middle of these kneeled Baby, rocking to and fro with something in her arms.

And when Tiny came in, she looked up; and he could see her eyes shining in the dusk.

Then Tiny came to her upon his toes, and kneeled beside her.

And he laid his lips to her ear, and whispered, "Mother."

Then they kissed each other and It.

AMEN

Book VIII tailpiece