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A Little Mother to the Others, a fiction by L. T. Meade |
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Chapter 20. "Let's Pertend," Said Diana |
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_ CHAPTER XX. "LET'S PERTEND," SAID DIANA The circus was crowded that evening, but neither Diana nor Orion put in an appearance. They were to make their grand _debut_ together on the following day, for hitherto only Diana had ridden in public. They were left now in the little room, all alone, but as they were together that did not matter at all to them. Orion's weary head rested against his sister's shoulder. Her stout little arm was flung round his waist; he was fast asleep, but there were traces of tears on his pale cheeks. It seemed a very long time now to little Orion since all the world had altered for him. From being a beautiful place, full of lovely gardens, and lovely homes, and kind people--from being full of snug little beds to sleep in, and nice food to eat, and loving services of all sorts--it had suddenly turned and shown its black face to the tenderly nurtured little boy. Rough words were now his portion; he had a hard bed to lie on, very insufficient and very poor food to eat, and in addition to these things, blows and kicks were measured out to him with a very liberal hand. Besides these fearful things, he was expected to do what terrified him into the very core of his somewhat timorous heart. Until he had been kidnaped by Mother Rodesia he had never known that he was really timid, but now this side of his nature had come to the fore. Day by day he grew more and more frightened, and for the last fortnight he really lost his appetite, and his health began to fail. He refused to eat the coarse and insufficient food, and when he slept his sleep was broken by bad dreams. Little Diana knew that there was something very wrong the matter, but she could not quite tell what. She had a very energetic little brain, however, and it was working now hard in Orion's behalf. The noise and shouts made by the circus people were distinctly audible to the two little children. Orion raised his head, looked around him with a terrified glance, and began to cry feebly. "Is Uncle Ben coming? Have I got to ride Greased Lightning? Di, are you there? are you close to me?" "Course I is," answered Diana. "Orion, don't you be such a silly; I is with you. There's nothing going to happen." "Nothing? Are you certain sure?" asked the child. "K'ite. I is with you, Orion; don't you be fwightened; there's nothing going to happen." Orion leaned comfortably back against the fat little shoulder. "P'w'aps you is a bit hung'y," said Diana. "There's bwead and milk on the table; Aunt Sawah left it. Shall we eat our supper afore we talks?" "I can't eat," replied Orion. "I'm not a scrap hungry; I am never hungry now. I wonder you can eat, Diana." "Course I can eat," replied Diana; "I aren't a silly. I has got to wide G'eased Lightning. I love G'eased Lightning. Don't know why you is fwightened of him." "But I am to ride Pole Star, and he's worse than Greased Lightning," replied Orion. "Well, you listen to me," said Diana, speaking in a very firm and authoritative voice. "See, I am eating up my supper, and you had best have some with me. I'll sit by you on the floor, if you like, and feed you same as if you was a baby." "But you are younger nor me," said Orion, with a little laugh; "seems, though, as if you were much older." "Can't help that," answered Diana; "can't help feelin' old, whether we is nor not. You is almost a baby--I is k'ite a big girl. Now, open your mouth; I am going to pop in some food. Here's a vedy nice piece of bwead." Orion did what Diana wished, but he could scarcely eat. Tears came suddenly into his eyes. "I wish I was dead, like poor Rub-a-Dub," he said, after a pause; "I wish I was lying in the beautiful garden, in the cemetery part with Rub-a-Dub." "Oh, don't be such a silly!" said Diana. "You has a lot to do afore you is deaded. Don't forget that you is a star and a giant." "No, that I aren't," said the child. "Oh, Di! if mother was here she would be disappointed, for I am not a star, nor yet a giant. I'm just the frightenest little boy in the world." "I has thought of a plan," said Diana very calmly. "You shan't wide Pole Star to-morrow; you shall wide G'eased Lightning." "But I am nearly as frightened of one horse as the other." "I know G'eased Lightning k'ite well by this time," continued Diana, "and if I are there he'll be gentle. You shall wide him, and I'll wide Pole Star." "But I heard Uncle Ben say that I was to have the other horse." "Never you mind that. What does that si'nify? I'll manage. I'm not fwightened of any horse that ever walked. If I are there, and if I look at G'eased Lightning, he'll be as good as good can be, and you must just keep looking at me, Orion, and do the things that I do. When you see me standing on Pole Star you must stand on your two foots on G'eased Lightning, and when we fly faster and faster you must still keep looking at me, and when I jump through the wings you must do the same, and then, Orion, then, why, it will be over. Now, bend down; I'm going to whisper something to you." Orion bent his ear with deep interest. "You don't mean it?" he said, when Diana had said some very energetic words in a low voice. "Yes, I does. Does I say things I doesn't mean? I means it twuly, twuly. You wide G'eased Lightning, and then--then it'll all be over." "Oh, I really think I can, if you are _quite_ sure," said Orion. His little face brightened up, two fever spots came into his cheeks; his eyes shone. "Are you quite sure, Di?" he said. "Pos'tive certain. Now, lie down if you like, and go to s'eep." "I could eat a bit more supper," said Orion. "I'm kind of hungry now that you has told me you is positive, Di." "All wight," answered Diana. "There's a teeny dwop of milk left. Course I was hungry and thirsty, and my trof was dry, but you shall drink up the last dwop of milk. Here now, isn't you better?" "I am really, truly," said Orion; "but are you quite certain it's true, Di?" "K'ite. Do you think I would tell a lie? I is the _gweat_ Diana. You is sort of forgetting, Orion." "No, I aren't," said Orion. "Oh, I am happy now!" "Well, lie down. I'll make up your bed, and you shall go to s'eep. We has a lot to do to-morrow, hasn't we?" "Yes, a lot," answered Orion, with a little laugh. "Oh, Di! will they let us?" "Course they'll let us," said Diana. "I has it all settled beautiful. Now, go to s'eep, p'ease, Orion." Orion did very soon enter the land of dreams, but little Diana lay broad awake. She was thinking hard, and her thoughts were wonderfully sensible for such a baby. The performance at the circus had turned out a great success. Diana had already appeared once or twice on Greased Lightning's back, but Ben Holt now kept her out of sight on purpose. He had caused rumors to be spread about her wonderful riding; his aim was to make people very anxious to see her again. He wanted the public to have a sort of craving for her. He hoped that when she finally appeared, dressed as the great Diana, with the bow and arrows, and when little Orion accompanied her with his girdle round his waist, and a sword in his hand, and when the two children rode round and round the circus on the fleetest horses in the company, that they would in very truth bring down the house--in short, that crowds would come to see them. Uncle Ben was full of hope with regard to Diana, but he was by no means so sure as far as Orion was concerned. If Orion would not play his part well, and look what he was--one of the prettiest boys in England, and one of the very youngest who had ever appeared in a circus--why, half the effect would be lost. He began to perceive, however, that cruelty had little or no effect on the child, and he was inclined to allow that little genius, Diana, to manage him in her own way. That night when the entertainment had come to an end, and Uncle Ben was seated at his cozy supper, he was much surprised when the door of the room was pushed suddenly open and a small girl, clad in a little white nightdress, made her appearance. "Is my dear Uncle Ben anywhere about?" called out the clear little voice. "My word! if that aint little Diana," said the man. "Come here this minute, you little romp, and get on my knee." Diana flew up to him, climbed on his knee, put her arms round his neck, and kissed him. "You's sort o' fond of me, I'm thinking," she said. "Yes, that I be, missy," he answered; "you are the 'cutest little gal I ever seed, and you are fond of poor Uncle Ben, eh?" "It all apends," replied Diana. "Now what do you mean by that, missy?" "It all apends," she repeated. "Wife, can you understand her?" questioned the man. "I think she means that it all depends, Ben." "Oh, depends--on what now, my dear?" "On whether you is good to my bwother or not." "Oh, is that all? Well, I'll be good to 'im." "He's awfu' fwightened of you." "Well, he needn't be. If you'll manage him I won't say a word." "Won't you twuly? Then I love you," said Diana. "Now, listen to me--I has been a-talking to him." "That's right, missy. Have a sip of my stout, won't you?" "No; I don't like it; it's black, nasty stuff. Put it away; I won't touch it. Well, now, listen to me, Uncle Ben. It apends altogether on whether you is good to Orion to-morrow or not whether he wides well, or whether he wides badly, and what I think is this--" "Well, missy, you are a very wise little miss for your age." "What I think is this," repeated Diana. "Let Orion wide G'eased Lightning and let me wide Pole Star." "But you can do anything with Greased Lightning," said the man. "Why, the 'orse fairly loves you, and Pole Star's a rare and wicious sort of beast." "I aren't fwightened; that aren't me," said Diana, in her usual proud, confident tone. "Orion isn't to wide a wicious sort of beast." She slipped down from the man's knees and stood before him. "It aren't me to be fwightened of any horse," she said. "I never was and I never will be." "I believe yer, miss," said Uncle Ben, gazing at her with great admiration. "But Orion he is--he is awfu' fwightened of Pole Star, and he sha'n't wide him. Now, G'eased Lightning, he'll do anything for me, and so what I say is this--let Orion wide him, and if he begins to dance about and get sort of fidgety, why, I'll stwoke him down. You know I could pwactice widing a little on Pole Star in the morning." "To be sure you could, missy." "Oh, my dear Ben," said Aunt Sarah at that moment, "you are never a-going to let either of them little kids ride a 'orse like Pole Star?" "You let me manage my own affairs," said the man, scowling angrily. "Well, I call it a shame," answered the woman. "Poor Aunt Sawah! you needn't be fwightened," said Diana. "I is never fwightened; that aren't me. I'll wide Pole Star, and Orion, he'll wide G'eased Lightning, _only_--now, Uncle Ben, is you listening?" "Yes, to be sure I am, missy," said Uncle Ben, taking another deep draught from his big glass of stout. "What's the 'only,' little miss?" "Let's pertend," said Diana. "Pretend what, missy?" "That after Orion has done it, after he has wode G'eased Lightning, he may go 'way." "Go away, missy?" "Yes, let's pertend it. If he thinks he's going away after he has done it, why, there's nothing he won't twy to do, 'cos, you see, he's longing to go. Let's say this to him: 'Orion, you's good boy, you's darlin' boy, and when you has done what I want you to do, you shall go way'--then he'll do it beaut'ful." "But he aint a-going," said the man, "he's my property. I has bought him; I has bought you both. You are sort of slaves to me." "No, I aren't a slave to nobody," said Diana, whose fierce little blood could not brook this word. "Well, you are a very good little gal, and so I am to pretend to Orion that he's going away; but now, when I don't mean him to go, that seems sort of cruel." "Oh, you leave it to me!" said Diana; "let him think he's going away and I'll manage. Tell Susan to tell him, and tell Aunt Sawah to tell him, and you tell him, and I'll tell him, and then he'll be as good as good, and as bwave--as bwave as a big giant." "Well, my dear, manage it your own way," said Uncle Ben; "but, all the same, it seems a shame. I aint what's called a very soft sort of man, but it seems a shame to deceive a little kid; only you manage it your own way, little missy." "I'll manage it my own way," echoed Diana. "I'm awfu' 'bliged." She tripped gayly out of the room. _ |
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