Rollo clapped his hands, and capered about, and asked his father how long he thought it would be before he could have it.
“O, you will learn,” said he, “when you come to talk with the corporal.”
“Do you think it will be a week?”
“I think it probable that he could make one in less than a week,” said his father, smiling.
“Well, how soon?” said Rollo.
“O, I cannot tell you: wait till you get to his shop, and then you will see.”
Rollo saw that, for some reason or other, his father was not inclined to talk about the time when he should have his wheelbarrow, but he could not think why; however, he determined to get the corporal to make it as quick as he could, at any rate.
It was about the middle of the afternoon that Rollo set off to go for his wheelbarrow. His mother told him he might go and get his cousin James to go with him if he chose. So he walked along towards [pg 60]the bridge, and, instead of turning at once off there to go towards the mill, he went on over the bridge towards the house where James lived. James came with him, and they walked back very pleasantly together.
When they got back across the bridge again, they turned off towards the mill, talking about the wheelbarrow. Rollo told James about his learning to work, and about his having seen the wheelbarrow at the corporal's, and how he trundled it about, and liked it very much.
“I should like to see it very much,” said James. “I suppose I can, when we get to the corporal's shop.”