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The marketing was over; the band was issuing its last invitation to the merry-makers to walk up and see strange sights; its notes were just dying to their close, when the wayfarers arrived at the foot of the steps leading to the platform where the musicians stood. Clare ascended, and Abdiel crept after him.
Abdiel indeed waked at the first pull, but had lain as still as a mouse ready to rouse his master, but not an instant before it should be necessary. Clare saw the sky, but he saw something else over him, better than the sky the face of Mrs. Halliwell, the mistress of the menagerie. In it, as she stood looking down on him, was compassion, mingled with self-reproach.
But now and then some tender-hearted woman, oftener one of ripe years, struck with his look its endurance, perhaps, or its weariness mingled with hope would perceive the necessity of the boy, and offer him the food he did not ask nor like him the less that, never doubting what came to one was for both, he gave the first share of it to Abdiel. Maly.
Then Clare told his story. Mr Goodenough afterward asseverated that, if he had not known him for a boy that would not lie, he would not have believed the half of it. "Come, Abdiel!" said Clare, the moment he ended and would have started at once. "Won't you have something after your long ride?" said the farmer. Clare looked down at his clothes, and laughed.
The next night, as soon as the place was quiet, Clare went down, and had another game with the puma. Before their sport was over, he had begun to teach him some of the tricks he had taught Abdiel; but he could not do much for fear of making a noise and alarming some keeper.
One consolation was, that, if they felt hunger more, it could not do them so much harm: they had more capital to go upon. He must not gather cowardice instead of courage from a season of prosperity! He was glad for Abdiel, though, that he grew his own clothes: he had left his warmest behind him. It made him ashamed to find himself regretting his clothes when he had lost a mother!
Not that your true Tory believes so ill of all his adversaries; there are some few geese among the cranes; an Abdiel here and there, who has long felt irksome in the host, but for false shame is there still; sundry men, having ambitious or illuminated wives, and too amiable, or too prudent, to attempt a breach of peace at home; some thronging the opposite benches, because their fathers and grandfathers topographically occupied those same seats a decent reason, supposing similarity of places and names, to insure similarity of principles and practice; and some I dislike them not for honesty confessing and upholding the republican extremes, upon a belief that all short of these are but an unsatisfactory part of a great and glorious experiment.
It was high time to do something to ask the great one somewhere, he did not know where, who could somehow, he did not know how, hear the thoughts that were not words, to do what ought to be done for little Ann, and Abdiel, and Pummy! He prayed in his heart, lay still, and fell fast asleep. He came to himself again, in the act of drawing a deep breath of cool, delicious air.
A dog ain't a Christian!" "Abdiel's more of a Christian than some I know," answered Clare: "he does what his master tells him." "There's something in that!" said the cook. "If I parted with Abdiel, I could never hold up my head among the angels," insisted Clare. "Think what harm it might do him! He could trust nobody after, his goodness might give way! He might grow worse than Tommy!
Clare turned away with a gentle good-morning, which the man did not get out of his heart for a matter of two days, and departed, hugging Abdiel. He was often cold and always hungry, but his life was anything but dull. The man who does not know where his next meal is to come from, is seldom afflicted with ennui.
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