"Yes, yes, only to the fountain, to see the angels and to hear them sing."
"Thou askest me that which thou knowest well I cannot do," replied Evelina almost angrily. "The doctor would not hear of my taking thee out of thy bed to carry thee in my arms among such a lot of people. And besides, thou wouldst not like it thyself: other children would stare at thee, and say things, perhaps, which would hurt thee."
"What would they say, Evelina?"
"Ah, cruel things: children do not stop to pick their words."
"But what would they say?" pleaded Violet, her eyes opening wide and her cheeks flushing.
"They would, perhaps, point their fingers at thee and call thee names. Ah, I have heard such things often in the street. There are wicked children as well as good. I have seen them even throwing stones after little sick children."
"Yes," cried Violet, sitting up straight, and her eyes deepening to the purple shade which always came with some great mental excitement; "and thou rememberest, Evelina, how one wicked boy threw a great heavy stone at a poor hunchback; and how God was watching, and when they would have thrown another the Lord Jesus laid his hand on the hunchback's shoulders, and out of them came two beautiful shining wings, and he flew straight up to heaven. Thou rememberest all this, Evelina?"
"Oh yes, I daresay," replied Evelina, who was down on her knees polishing the stove.
"But thou didst tell that very story to me."
"Well, and what then?"