But she spoke.
“I be come ’ome, Daddie,” she said. “Daisy didn’t like bein’ away down there by the far beach where there wasn’t no Daddie. And she didn’t know whativer er old Daddie would do wivout ’is little maid. ’Cos when I was near drownded dead in the river ’oo said I mustn’t niver—niver go away from my old Dad.”
He clasped her a little tighter, but still he did not speak.
“I be very tired, Daddie,” she said in a minute. “I be dreadful tired.”
Then he opened his lips.
“’Owever did you get ’ere, little ’un?” he said.
“I runned,” she answered simply.
“What, all the way?” asked he.
She nodded her head.
“First I runned very fast,” she said, “’cos I was f’ightened Mrs. Low’d ’ave me and whop me. And then I runned slower, but I runned all the time. I remembered the way, I did,” said she, wisely nodding her head again.