"I do not deserve such a testimonial, and cannot receive it, sir,"
persisted Ishmael.
"There, uncle, I told you so!" exclaimed Claudia, springing from the
carriage and taking the book from the hand of Mr. Middleton.
She went to the side of Ishmael, put her arm around his neck, drew his
head down against hers, leaned her bright cheek against his, and said: "Come, now, take the book; I know you want it; take it like a good boy;
take it for my sake," Still Ishmael hesitated a little.
Then she raised the parcel and pressed it to her lips and handed it to
him again, saying: "There, now, you see I've kissed it. Fido would take anything I kissed;
won't you?"
Ishmael now held out his hands eagerly for the prize, took it and
pressed it to his jacket, exclaiming awkwardly but earnestly: "Thank you, miss! Oh, thank you a thousand, thousand times, miss! You
don't know how much I wanted this book, and how glad I am!"
"Oh, yes, I do. I'm a witch, and know people's secret thoughts. But why
didn't you take the book when uncle offered it?"
"If you are a witch, miss, you can tell."
"So I can; it was because you don't love uncle as well as you love me!
Well, Fido doesn't either. But uncle is a nice man for all that."
"I wonder who 'Fido' is," thought the poor boy. "I do wonder who he is;
her brother, I suppose."
"Come, Claudia, my love, get into the carriage; we must go home," said
Mr. Middleton, as he assisted his niece to her seat.
"I thank you very much, sir, for this very beautiful book," said
Ishmael, going up to Mr. Middleton and taking off his hat.
"You are very welcome, my boy; so run home now and enjoy it," replied
the gentleman, as he sprang into the carriage and took the reins.
"'Run home?' how can he run home, uncle? If he lives at the weaver's, it
is four miles off! How can he run it, or even walk it? Don't you see how
badly hurt he is? Why, he could scarcely limp from the pond to the shop!
I think it would be only kind, uncle, to take him up beside you. We pass
close to the hut, you know, in going home, and we could set him down."
"Come along, then, my little fellow! The young princess says you are to
ride home with us, and her highness' wishes are not to be disobeyed!"
laughed Mr. Middleton, holding out his hand to help the boy into the
carriage.
Ishmael made no objection to this proposal: but eagerly clambered up to
the offered seat beside the gentleman.