“I’d change places with the boy who rides the white pony,” he answered readily.
“Very well. Be it so. Lift me out of the hole.”
When Johnny Grudge raised the elfin from his awkward position, the creature commanded him to lie down on the moss and close his eyes. Our hero obeyed, and strange to relate, in a twinkling, the moonlight, grassy dell, fairy, all faded away, and he was sleeping on a soft, rich couch. He awoke with a start, and looked round him in surprise. The grey light of the morning was stealing into the room, and he saw that the apartment was handsomely furnished. A clock struck five.
At that moment the door opened, and a man in a striped jacket came in, and wished him “Good-morning.” He was rather astonished when the man lifted him out of bed, took off his night clothes, and plunged him into a cold bath. It was in vain Johnny gasped, and spluttered, and [[168]]protested that he didn’t like it, and was not used to it. The man only shook his head very gravely, and went on plunging him till he was satisfied; then he rubbed him dry with a rough towel. After this he helped him to dress, and poor little Grudge never had so much trouble before. It occupied nearly an hour, and when it was over there was a tap at the door, and a message to say that Mr. Cramwell was expecting Master Bertrand in the study.
“Who is he?” inquired Johnny.
“Your tutor, sir, of course.”
“What does he want with me?”
“To prepare you for the day’s exercises,” replied the servant, with a stare.
“Oh! I can get exercise enough without him,” cried the boy. “Just you give me a piece of fresh damper and some tea, and then I’m off down to the creek to look for the old mare.”
The man in the striped jacket held up his hands in dismay. He assured our hero the thing was impossible, and without further parley led him out of the room and down a broad, winding, carpeted stair, on which beautiful busts of ladies and gentlemen stood staring at him in wonder to see him there, and appearing as if they were about to call out to the whole household and [[169]]proclaim that he was only Johnny Grudge the wood-carter.