“I d’ ’low he won’t have no objections,” returned Reed good-humouredly. “But ye must see and take ’em home afore dark, Jim, same as ye did promise the missus. And take good care o’ Johnny, maids, whatever ye do.”
Johnny had by this time stared his fill at the cocoanuts, and now came backing up against his father, turning suddenly as the latter was about to move away.
“I want to stop with Dada!” he cried. “Let me go with you, Dada?”
“Ah, he be ter’ble fond o’ Dada, that he be,” remarked John to his friend. “Never was such a chap for wantin’ to be al’ays at my heels. There, but ye must stop with sister now, Johnny—and Dada ’ull come back for ’ee by-and-bye.”
“You’ll not keep the child out late, Father, will ye?” inquired Maggie anxiously. “Ye’ll let him come home wi’ us.”
But he had already turned away.
Johnny was at first disposed to lament, but was somewhat consoled on being invited to try his luck with the cocoanuts; the sticks thrown by his small arm, however, fell wide of the mark, and presently his lip began to droop again and his eyes to roam wistfully,
“Why, you haven’t spent your money yet,” cried Rosie, catching him up. “Come, we’ll go to the stalls and find summat to buy.”
After Johnny was perambulated up and down the stuffy arcade between the rows of shouting, excited vendors of toys, sweet-stuff, and crockery, after he had paused irresolutely in front of several booths, and screwed and unscrewed his precious little squeaking box any number of times, he found himself unable to part with his threepenny-bit, and finally agreed, with a sigh of satisfaction, to follow Rosie’s advice and keep it for another day.
They went to a shooting-gallery next, and the noise made Johnny’s head ache; and then to a peep-show, which he didn’t understand; and then to watch an acrobatic performance, which failed to interest him.