“That’s because you’re such a fine strong man. I find him heavy enough, I can tell you.”
Jupp positively blushed at her implied compliment. “I ain’t much to boast of ag’in a delicate young ’ooman as you,” he said at last; “but, sartenly, I can carry a little shaver like this; and, besides, look how the snow’s a coming down.”
“Well, if you will be so good, I’d be obliged to you,” interposed the nurse hurriedly as if to stop any further explanations on Jupp’s part, he having impulsively stepped nearer to her at that moment.
“All right then!” cried he, his jolly face beaming with delight at the permission to escort her. “Here, Grigson!”
“That’s me!” shouted another porter appearing mysteriously from the back of the office, in answer to Jupp’s stentorian hail.
“Just look out for the down-train, ’case I ain’t back in time. I’m just agoin’ to take some luggage for this young woman up to the village.”
“Aye, just so,” replied the other with a sly wink, which, luckily for himself, perhaps, Jupp did not see, as, holding the mite tenderly in his arms, with his jacket thrown over him to protect him from the snow, he sallied out from the little wayside station in company with the nurse, the latter carrying all Master Teddy’s valuables, which she had re-collected and tied up again carefully within the folds of the red pocket-handkerchief bundle wherein their proprietor had originally brought them thither.
Strange to say, the mite did not exhibit the slightest reluctance in returning home, as might have been expected from the interruption of his projected plan of going to London to see his “d’an’ma.”
On the contrary, his meeting with Jupp and introduction to him as a new and estimable acquaintance, as well as the settlement of all outstanding grievances between himself and his nurse, appeared to have quite changed his views as to his previously-cherished expedition; so that he was now as content and cheerful as possible, looking anything but like a disappointed truant.
Indeed, he more resembled a successful conqueror making a triumphal entry into his capital than a foiled strategist defeated in the very moment of victory!