The boy seated himself by the crib, and began to swing it lightly to and fro, rather to keep himself busy, than from any idea of its usefulness. After awhile his eyes grew heavy, and his hand rested motionless on the crib. Then it fell away altogether, and, seated in the Boston rocking-chair, James slept as soundly as his little charge.
Once or twice the boy awoke with a start, as if some noise had aroused him; but his head was heavy, and his senses dull. Strive as he would to listen, sleep overpowered him, and was more and more profound as the night wore on.
CHAPTER XLV.
WATCHING FROM THE PAVEMENT.
Meantime, Boyce and Kate Gorman were enjoying themselves in a most aristocratic fashion, in front of Mrs. Carter’s dwelling. They had taken a good position, and saw the whole company, as carriage after carriage set down its load. Once, for a very brief time, Kate missed her companion, who had stepped back into the shadow of a neighboring building, and spoke to a young man, who took something from his hand then slunk cautiously away. Directly he disappeared entirely and was lost in the crowd of curious persons, who had gathered to see what fashionable life was like, when viewed from the side-walk, and by gaslight.
“What, me!” said Boyce, when Kate reproached him for leaving her. “I haven’t been six feet away from you all the evening. It was that big woman who stood between me and you. I could have took hold of your dress any minute; only you were enjoying yourself so much with them last two carriage-loads, that I didn’t have the heart to disturb you by saying I’m here, Miss Gorman, which I was, though, not being the fellow to leave a lovely and defenceless female alone in a crowd.”
“Of course you’re not, Mr. Boyce,” said Kate, fully satisfied that he had been close by her elbow all the time. “I only did not see you just then, and, being a little timmersome at night, the thought of your leaving me alone set me all in a trimble.”
“But the moment you spoke I was here.”
“Of course you were; only I didn’t observe it just at the minute. But, oh! what has come over us now? Look there! If she hasn’t brought down a handful of stars for her head! Why, sure, it’s the queen herself!”
“Not a bit of it,” answered Boyce, with supreme contempt of the idea. “She’s only a customer of ours. I’ve had to carry home her groceries more than once, when that boy Jim was out. That’s Mrs. Lambert.”
“Mrs. Lambert,” repeated Kate, who had never heard the name before, but was still wonderfully impressed by the splendor of that lady’s dress. “Well, of course, you know; only, if it was not for that, I should take her for something a great deal more particular. Dear me! what a blaze the house is in. How the curtains shake and tremble. To think of Mr. and Mrs. Smith being in there, with the cream of the country, and I dressing her for the same! It’s beyond belief, if we didn’t know it?”