“I know,” she said. “We’ll go to the saddler’s. Even if he hasn’t got any toy-reins ready he can easily make them.”
And fancy—was not it lucky?—the saddler had a pair quite ready—beauties, just like what Leigh wanted. Mamma was so pleased, and so was Mary; though I do not think mamma would have been quite so pleased if she had known what Leigh had in his head about the reins. Then mamma went to the confectioner’s, where she bought some very nice little cakes for Mary to take home for the nursery tea, and, as she thought Mary looked a little tired and must be beginning to feel hungry, she asked for a glass of milk for her and a bun, and then she put Mary on a chair close up to the counter, where she could reach the milk. And then, just as she was going to pay for what she had bought, poor mamma started.
“Oh, dear!” she said, “where is my little bag with my purse in it? I must have left it somewhere; I was carrying so many parcels.”
“Mamma, dear,” said Mary, “you had it at the reins’ shop. I sawed it in your hand.”
“Oh, I’m so glad!” said mamma. “Then it’ll be all right. I’ll run back for it. You finish your milk and bun, dear, and I will come for you as quickly as I can.”
Mary did not quite like waiting alone, but she did not want to trouble her mother, so she said, “Very well, mamma dear.”
Her milk and bun did not take long to finish, but she sat on still on the high chair, partly because she thought her mamma would look for her there, partly because she could not get down alone, and she was too shy to ask to be lifted off. But mamma did not come as quickly as Mary hoped, though the time seemed longer to her than it really was.
In a few minutes she heard the door open, and she looked up gladly, thinking it was her mamma; but it was not. Instead of mamma in came a rather fat lady, with two boys and a girl. The lady had a red face, and they all talked very loudly.
“Now, what will you have, my loveys?” said the lady. “Puffs, cheesecakes, macaroons?”
The three children pushed up to the counter and began helping themselves. It was not a large shop, and they crushed against Mary, who was growing very uncomfortable.