But it was yet another quarter of an hour before Ruby’s white nose was seen coming steadily down the road. As it got nearer the excitement at the gate grew so high that it did not seem likely anyone would think about Andrew’s hat, or of anything beside shouts of welcome, and exclamations.
“There’s Dickie on the box; she’s holding the whip. Mother’s got baby on her knee. They’ve seen us. They’ve seen the arch, hurrah!”
Now they were quite near, and now it suddenly appeared that one person’s feelings about passing through the “triumphant” arch had not been considered. This was Ruby. In all his long life he had gone many and many a time through the white gate, but never had he seen it adorned by bunches of green bushy things which shook in the wind. He did not mind the jumping shouting little figures on each side of it in the least, but the “triumphant” arch was an insult to a horse who had lived many years at the vicarage, and knew every stick and stone near it. He planted his fore feet firmly on the ground, put his head down, and refused to stir.
“Come, my lad,” said Andrew, “it’s nowt to harm ye.”
But Ruby would not be reasoned with, or coaxed, or forced with the whip.
It a little spoiled the triumph of the arrival, and Mr and Mrs Hawthorne sat laughing in the carriage, while Andrew went through all the forms of persuasion he knew. But at last Mrs Hawthorne had a good thought.
“Never mind, Andrew,” she said, “we will all get out here, and walk through this beautiful arch. Then you can drive round the other way to the stable with the luggage.”
So after all it had not been made in vain, though to walk through it was perhaps not quite so triumphant as driving would have been. It had, however, some advantages. It was easier to tell all the news and to ask all the questions as they walked up to the house together, than to shout them out running by the side of the carriage.
“I thought of the decorations,” said Nancy as they entered the house, “and we all helped to put them up.”
“But,” added David, “we shouldn’t have been able to get them at all, if Dr Budge hadn’t helped us.”