"The fac's is this. Our Tom—the old pony you seed—has got a bad knee, an' he can't go no further, an' dad an' me is puttin' up in the public. We sleeps in the loft, an' pays sixpence a night. We come las' night; but I've had to watch dad, he were so on the booze. Howsumever, he be off to-day round about the village sellin', so I comes off here. My! What a silly lot o' women you have downstairs! They wouldn't b'lieve you an' me was chums!"
Christina was hastily opening her toy cupboard.
"I've been making a collection, Susy. Look! Here's a picture, it isn't in a frame; but I love it and I thought you'd like to hang it up somewhere. It's Jesus on His mother's knee on a donkey; they're going away because of the wicked king who wanted to kill Him. Do you know about it?"
Susy shook her head.
"I know He was a baby once in a cowshed," she said. "They learned me that at Sunday school."
She took the picture, then added confidentially:
"I has a box at the bottom of our cart which is all mine; dad don't know about it. I keeps things to make a 'ome with one day; mother began it, an' I goes on the same. I'll put the pictur' there. I has a bit o' curtain, an' a carpet, an' a chiny dog to put over the mantelshelf, an' a brass candlestick. When dad an' me has made a lot o' money, we'll set up a little 'ouse with a kitchen an' proper oving, an' I'll have cupboards an' drawers, an' won't have no old boxes any more. I makes it up all to myself when I be waitin' for dad."
"I forgot you hadn't got a house," said Christina ruefully; then she produced more of her treasures.
"Here is a pincushion, and a little shoe with a thimble in it, and a lovely bit of green ribbon and two big shells, and a scrapbook and a ring puzzle, and a little china house and a book of fairy stories, and a doll's tea set; and here is a woollen scarf that I've knitted for you. Do you like them, Susy."
Susy's beaming face was sufficient answer.