"You weren't here last year, were you?" questioned Tom. "If so, I didn't see you, and I saw nearly all the shows. There was a dwarf here, but—"
"Oh, I know all about him," broke in the little man, in a disparaging tone; "he's an inch and a half taller than I am. He won't come this year, you'll find; it would be no good if he did, with me to compete against. I'm the smallest dwarf in Europe—I should beat Tom Thumb if he was living now, for I'm an eighth of an inch less in height than he used to be."
"Really?" said Tom, politely, though secretly much amused.
"Yes, really," added the dwarf. "I'm Tiny Jim; in private life, James Augustus Rumbelow. My wife's a fat lady. We're travelling with Dumbell's menagerie, but we're a separate show—you have to pay extra to see us."
Tom made no response to this; he was considering whether or not he should speak to Tiny Jim about little Grace Lee.
"Of course you'll come and see 'Una and the Lion,'" the dwarf continued; "that'll be the great draw, I expect. I hope—" He paused, sighed, then added, more as if speaking to himself than to Tom: "They say there's no need to be nervous, and every precaution will be made for the child's safety—yes, yes, it'll be all right, I know!" He folded his newspaper as he spoke, and rose to his feet, his head scarcely reaching to the handle of the caravan door. Then a woman's voice from within the caravan was heard.
"James Augustus Rumbelow," it said, "you ought to know better than to stay out there gossiping with one of the public. Come in to breakfast."
"All right, my dear, coming!" answered Tiny Jim; and, having bestowed upon Tom a nod of farewell, he entered the caravan, and closed the door.
After that Tom moved away, and was soon out of the town. Arrived at Hatwell Green he found, to his great disappointment, that Moses had left his wife and child with the caravan, and gone to a horse-fair, which was being held that day in a town some ten miles distant.
"He's certain not to be back till late to-night, anyway," said Mrs. Lee, regarding the boy curiously, for she naturally wondered what he wanted with her husband; and perhaps not till to-morrow. He said he might stop the night with some relatives.