Then she sallied forth; but Annette secretly followed her. She said to Mrs. Daw as she was leaving the house:
"Miss Emmeline have not been like this for long long time. It is sad how evil she can behave, but her good uncle be the one to cure her, only she will not go to him."
Dreamikins marched on without looking behind her, till she came to the village. Then she turned her head, and saw Annette in the distance. She dashed round the corner of the street, and, seeing a cart and horse standing outside a house, in an instant sprang up into it, and hid herself under the seat, pulling an old rug entirely over her. No one saw her do it, and presently the carter came out and drove off. Annette was wildly hunting about for her little charge, and, after a fruitless search, went home, hoping that she would have arrived there before her.
Dreamikins lay still for a long time.
"I'm going a journey," she asserted to herself, "and I'll get away from everybody; and a good thing too!"
But she soon began to fidget, and at last, in sheer mischief, she put out her hand and sharply pinched the carter in the leg. He did not feel it at first; then he put down his great hand and came in contact with hers. In another minute he had dragged away the rug, and was staring at his passenger with astonished eyes.
"Well, I'm blest!" was all he could say.
And Dreamikins crept out, and laughed and clapped her hands.
"You didn't know I was there, did you, now? I'm having a nice drive."
"But where do 'ee come from, little Missy?"