“What! along of you and her?” cried the boy excitedly.
“Yes, always, unless you go to a good school.”
“But live here along o’ you, in this beautiful house with this nice lady, and that gal with a round face.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ri-i-kee!” cried the boy in a shrill, piercing voice; and, to the astonishment of the doctor and his daughter, he made a bound, and then, with wonderful skill and rapidity, began turning the wheel, as it is called, going over and over on hands and feet, completely round the room.
“Here, stop, sir, stop!” cried the doctor, half-angry and half-amused.
“I can do it t’other way too,” cried the boy; and, as he had turned before commencing upon his left hand, he began with his right, and completed the circuit of the room in the opposite direction.
“There!” he cried, as he stopped before the doctor and his daughter, flushed and proud. “There isn’t a chap in the House can do it as quick as I can. Mr Sibery caught me one day, and didn’t I get the cane!”
There was such an air of innocent pride displayed by the boy, that after for the moment feeling annoyed, Helen Grayson sat back in her chair and laughed as much at the boy as at her father’s puzzled look, of surprise.
“That’s nothing!” cried the boy, as he saw Helen’s smiles. “Look here.”