“Then I’ll put it away again, shall I, dear,” said Mrs. Mason; “’tis a pity I left off my work to fetch it.”
“No, I think I’ll take it, as there is nothing else,” said Phebe; “but I don’t know how I shall play with it.” “O stay though,” said she, “I know now what I’ll do. I’ll suppose that it is a Hottentot just come to England. It will do very well for that, will it not?” So she ran down stairs with it, feeling in rather better spirits than she had done all the morning.
Phebe amused herself the rest of the day with the Hottentot, the glass case, and the box of dominoes, and went to bed hoping most earnestly that the next morning would be fine.
To her great joy she saw the sun shining brightly into her room as soon as she opened her eyes; but Phebe could not run about in the meadow, because the grass was too wet; she therefore amused herself as well as she could in the garden, and watched the carriages that passed in the road.
In the afternoon she went with Susan to see the cows milked, and stood looking at them for a long time very comfortably, till she happened to turn round, and see the bull standing in the yard.
“O dear,” said she, catching hold of Susan’s apron, “I do think that’s the very bull that looked at me on Wednesday.”
“Aye, that it is, you may depend upon it, Miss,” said Susan; “and I shou’nt wonder but he is going to look at you again to-day, too; so be sure you keep fast hold of me.”
Phebe did not once let go her hold of Susan’s apron, and was very glad when she said that it was time to go in to tea.
Phebe staid two or three days longer at Mrs. Mason’s, and was surprised to find, every day, that some little thing happened to make her rather uncomfortable; or else, (as was often the case with Phebe,) she was discontented when there was no real occasion. So that she sometimes thought there were as many things to tease her at Mrs. Mason’s, as at home; only they were of a different sort.
At last the day came, on which Mrs. Mason had agreed to take her home. Every thing looked so cheerful and pretty that morning, that Phebe thought she should have been quite happy if she could only have staid one more day; but this was out of the question, for very soon after breakfast Mrs. Mason was ready to set off, and after what Phebe thought a very short ride, they reached the bustling town.