Shock put down the barrow; and then his mischief-loving disposition got

the better of his sulkiness, and stooping down he astonished me and made

Mrs Beeton shriek by taking a leap up the two steps, like a dog, and

going on all-fours to the box.

"Pray, pray, take him away, Master Dennison!" the poor woman cried in

real alarm; "and do, pray, mind yourself--the boy's mad!"

"Oh, no; he won't hurt you," I said, taking one end of the box. But

Shock growled, shook it free, lifted it from the floor, and before I

could stop him, bumped it down the steps on to the barrow with a bang,

laid it fairly across, and then seizing the handles went off at a trot.

"I can't stop," I said quickly; "I must go and look after him."

"Yes, but pray take care, my dear. He bites. He bit a boy once very

badly, and he isn't safe."

Not very pleasant news, but I could not stay to hear more, and, running

after the barrow, I caught up to it and laid my hand upon one side of

the box as if to keep it steady.

I did not speak for a minute, and Shock subsided into a walk; then,

turning to him and looking in his morose, ill-used face: "I've never thanked you yet for getting me out of the river."

The box gave a bump and a bound, for the handles of the barrow were

raised very high and Shock began to run.

At the end of a minute I stopped him, and as soon as we were going on

steadily I made the same remark.

But up went the barrow and box again and off we trotted. When, after

stopping him for the second time, I made an attempt to get into

conversation and to thank him, Shock banged down the legs of the barrow,

looking as stolid and heavy as if he were perfectly deaf, threw open the

gate, and ran the barrow up to the house-door.

"Oh! here's your baggage, then!" said Old Brownsmith. "Bring it in,

Shock; set it on end there in the passage. We'll take it up after tea.

Come along."

Shock lifted in the box before I could help him; and then seizing the

barrow-handles, with his back to me, he let out a kick like a mule and

caught me in the calf, nearly sending me down.

"Hallo! hold on, my lad," said Old Brownsmith, who had not seen the

cause; and of course I would not tell tales; but I made up my mind to

repay Mr Shock for that kick and for his insolent obstinacy the first

time the opportunity served.

I followed my master into a great shed that struck cool as we descended

to the floor, which was six or seven feet below the surface, being like

a cellar opened and then roofed in with wood. Here some seven or eight

women were busy tying up rosebuds in market bunches, while a couple of

men went and came with baskets which they brought in full and took out

empty.




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