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his mind; he went straight for the cellar of old Sal。



〃He's a sharp little kid; anyhow; for as simple as he looks;〃

said the man to himself。  〃Not a wrong turn does he take! 

But old Sal's a rum un for such a child to pay a morning visit to。 

She's worse when she's sober than when she's half drunk。  I've seen

her when she'd have torn him in pieces。〃



Happily then for Diamond; old Sal had gone out to get some gin。 

When he came to her door at the bottom of the area…stair and knocked;

he received no answer。  He laid his ear to the door; and thought he heard

a moaning within。  So he tried the door; and found it was not locked! 

It was a dreary place indeed;and very dark; for the window was below

the level of the street; and covered with mud; while over the grating

which kept people from falling into the area; stood a chest of drawers;

placed there by a dealer in second…hand furniture; which shut out

almost all the light。  And the smell in the place was dreadful。 

Diamond stood still for a while; for he could see next to nothing;

but he heard the moaning plainly enough now; When he got used

to the darkness; he discovered his friend lying with closed eyes

and a white suffering face on a heap of little better than rags in

a corner of the den。  He went up to her and spoke; but she made him

no answer。  Indeed; she was not in the least aware of his presence;

and Diamond saw that he could do nothing for her without help。 

So taking a lump of barley…sugar from his pocket; which he had bought

for her as he came along; and laying it beside her; he left the place;

having already made up his mind to go and see the tall gentleman;

Mr。 Raymond; and ask him to do something for Sal's Nanny; as the girl

was called。



By the time he got up the area…steps; three or four women who had

seen him go down were standing together at the top waiting for him。 

They wanted his clothes for their children; but they did not follow

him down lest Sal should find them there。  The moment he appeared;

they laid their hands on him; and all began talking at once;

for each wanted to get some advantage over her neighbours。 

He told them quite quietly; for he was not frightened; that he

had come to see what was the matter with Nanny。



〃What do you know about Nanny?〃 said one of them fiercely。  〃Wait till

old Sal comes home; and you'll catch it; for going prying into her

house when she's out。  If you don't give me your jacket directly;

I'll go and fetch her。〃



〃I can't give you my jacket;〃 said Diamond。  〃It belongs to my

father and mother; you know。  It's not mine to give。  Is it now? 

You would not think it right to give away what wasn't yours

would you now?〃



〃Give it away!  No; that I wouldn't; I'd keep it;〃 she said;

with a rough laugh。  〃But if the jacket ain't yours; what right have

you to keep it?  Here; Cherry; make haste。  It'll be one go apiece。〃



They all began to tug at the jacket; while Diamond stooped and kept

his arms bent to resist them。  Before they had done him or the jacket

any harm; however; suddenly they all scampered away; and Diamond;

looking in the opposite direction; saw the tall policeman coming

towards him。



〃You had better have let me come with you; little man;〃 he said;

looking down in Diamond's face; which was flushed with his resistance。



〃You came just in the right time; thank you;〃 returned Diamond。 

〃They've done me no harm。〃



〃They would have if I hadn't been at hand; though。〃



〃Yes; but you were at hand; you know; so they couldn't。〃



Perhaps the answer was deeper in purport than either Diamond

or the policeman knew。  They walked away together; Diamond telling

his new friend how ill poor Nanny was; and that he was going to let

the tall gentleman know。  The policeman put him in the nearest way

for Bloomsbury; and stepping out in good earnest; Diamond reached

Mr。 Raymond's door in less than an hour。  When he asked if he

was at home; the servant; in return; asked what he wanted。



〃I want to tell him something。〃



〃But I can't go and trouble him with such a message as that。〃



〃He told me to come to himthat is; when I could readand I can。〃



〃How am I to know that?〃



Diamond stared with astonishment for one moment; then answered:



〃Why; I've just told you。  That's how you know it。〃



But this man was made of coarser grain than the policeman;

and; instead of seeing that Diamond could not tell a lie;

he put his answer down as impudence; and saying; 〃Do you

think I'm going to take your word for it?〃 shut the door in his face。



Diamond turned and sat down on the doorstep; thinking with himself

that the tall gentleman must either come in or come out; and he

was therefore in the best possible position for finding him。 

He had not waited long before the door opened again; but when he

looked round; it was only the servant once more。



〃Get; away〃 he said。  〃What are you doing on the doorstep?〃



〃Waiting for Mr。 Raymond;〃 answered Diamond; getting up。



〃He's not at home。〃



〃Then I'll wait till he comes;〃 returned Diamond; sitting down again

with a smile。



What the man would have done next I do not know; but a step

sounded from the hall; and when Diamond looked round yet again;

there was the tall gentleman。



〃Who's this; John?〃 he asked。



〃I don't know; sir。  An imperent little boy as will sit on the doorstep。〃



〃Please sir〃 said Diamond; 〃he told me you weren't at home; and I

sat down to wait for you。〃



〃Eh; what!〃 said Mr。 Raymond。  〃John!  John!  This won't do。 

Is it a habit of yours to turn away my visitors?  There'll be some

one else to turn away; I'm afraid; if I find any more of this kind

of thing。  Come in; my little man。  I suppose you've come to claim

your sixpence?〃



〃No; sir; not that。〃



〃What! can't you read yet?〃



〃Yes; I can now; a little。  But I'll come for that next time。 

I came to tell you about Sal's Nanny。〃



〃Who's Sal's Nanny?〃



〃The girl at the crossing you talked to the same day。〃



〃Oh; yes; I remember。  What's the matter?  Has she got run over?〃



Then Diamond told him all。



Now Mr。 Raymond was one of the kindest men in London。  He sent at

once to have the horse put to the brougham; took Diamond with him;

and drove to the Children's Hospital。  There he was well known

to everybody; for he was not only a large subscriber; but he used

to go and tell the children stories of an afternoon。  One of the

doctors promised to go and find Nanny; and do what could be done

have her brought to the hospital; if possible。



That same night they sent a litter for her; and as she could

be of no use to old Sal until she was better; she did not object

to having her removed。  So she was soon lying in the fever ward

for the first time in her life in a nice clean bed。  But she knew

nothing of the whole affair。  She was too ill to know anything。







CHAPTER XXII



MR。  RAYMOND'S RIDDLE





MR。  RAYMOND took Diamond home with him; stopping at the Mews

to tell his mother that he would send him back soon。  Diamond ran

in with the message himself; and when he reappeared he had in his

hand the torn and crumpled book which North Wind had given him。



〃Ah!  I see;〃 said Mr。 Raymond:  〃you are going to claim your

sixpence now。〃



〃I wasn't thinking of that so much as of another thing;〃 said Diamond。 

〃There's a rhyme in this book I can't quite understand。  I want you

to tell me what it means; if you please。〃



〃I will if I can;〃 answered Mr。 Raymond。  〃You shall read it to me

when we get home; and then I shall see。〃



Still with a good many blunders; Diamond did read it after a fashion。 

Mr。 Raymond took the little book and read it over again。



Now Mr。 Raymond was a poet himself; and so; although he had never

been at the back of the north wind; he was able to understand the

poem pretty well。  But before saying anything about it; he read it

over aloud; and Diamond thought he understood it much better already。



〃I'll tell you what I think it means;〃 he then said。  〃It means

that people may have their way for a while; if they like; but it

will get them into such troubles they'll wish they hadn't had it。〃



〃I know; I know!〃 said Diamond。  〃Like the poor cabman next door。 

He drinks too much。〃



〃Just so;〃 returned Mr。 Raymond。  〃But when people want to do right;

things about them will try to help them。  Only they must kill

the snake; you know。〃



〃I was sure the snake had something to do with it;〃

cried Diamond triumphantly。



A good deal more talk followed; and Mr。 Raymond gave Diamond

his sixpence。



〃What will you do with it?〃 he asked。



〃Take it home to my mother;〃 he answered。  〃She has a teapot

such a black one!with a broken spout; and she keeps all her money

in it。  It ain't much; but she saves it up to buy shoes for me。 

And there's baby coming on famously; and he'll want 

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