Chapter Thirteen.
Treats of Spirits and of Sundry Spirited Matters and Incidents.
One sunny afternoon Mrs Maggot found herself in the happy position of having so thoroughly completed her round of household work that she felt at leisure to sit down and sew, while little Grace sat beside her, near the open door, rocking the cradle.
Baby, in blissful unconsciousness of its own existence, lay sound asleep with a thumb in its mouth; the resolute sucking of that thumb having been its most recent act of disobedience.
Little Grace was flushed, and rather dishevelled, for it had cost her half an hour’s hard wrestling to get baby placed in recumbent somnolence. She now sought to soothe her feelings by tickling the chin of the black kitten—a process to which that active creature submitted with purring satisfaction.
“Faither’s long of coming hum, mother,” said little Grace, looking up.
“Iss,” replied Mrs Maggot.
“D’ee knaw where he is?” inquired Grace.