But what was the ex-coachman’s delight, when, on going into the stable where his friend led him, he found the horse he wanted him to buy was no other than his own old Diamond, grown very thin and bony and long-legged, as if they, had been doing what they could to fit him for Hansom work!
“He ain’t a Hansom horse,” said Diamond’s father indignantly.
“Well, you’re right. He ain’t handsome, but he’s a good un” said his owner.
“Who says he ain’t handsome? He’s one of the handsomest horses a gentleman’s coachman ever druv,” said Diamond’s father; remarking to himself under his breath—“though I says it as shouldn’t”—for he did not feel inclined all at once to confess that his own old horse could have sunk so low.
“Well,” said his friend, “all I say is—There’s a animal for you, as strong as a church; an’ll go like a train, leastways a parly,” he added, correcting himself.
But the coachman had a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes. For the old horse, hearing his voice, had turned his long neck, and when his old friend went up to him and laid his hand on his side, he whinnied for joy, and laid his big head on his master’s breast. This settled the matter. The coachman’s arms were round the horse’s neck in a moment, and he fairly broke down and cried. The cab-master had never been so fond of a horse himself as to hug him like that, but he saw in a moment how it was. And he must have been a good-hearted fellow, for I never heard of such an idea coming into the head of any other man with a horse to sell: instead of putting something on to the price because he was now pretty sure of selling him, he actually took a pound off what he had meant to ask for him, saying to himself it was a shame to part old friends.
Diamond’s father, as soon as he came to himself, turned and asked how much he wanted for the horse.
“I see you’re old friends,” said the owner.
“It’s my own old Diamond. I liked him far the best of the pair, though the other was good. You ain’t got him too, have you?”
“No; nothing in the stable to match him there.”
“I believe you,” said the coachman. “But you’ll be wanting a long price for him, I know.”
“No, not so much. I bought him cheap, and as I say, he ain’t for my work.”
The end of it was that Diamond’s father bought old Diamond again, along with a four-wheeled cab. And as there were some rooms to be had over the stable, he took them, wrote to his wife to come home, and set up as a cabman.
XV
The Mews
It was late in the afternoon when Diamond and his mother and the baby reached London. I was so full of Diamond that I forgot to tell you a baby had arrived in the meantime. His father was waiting for them with his own cab, but they had not told Diamond who the horse was; for his father wanted to enjoy the pleasure of his surprise when he found it out. He got in with his mother without looking at the horse, and his father having put up Diamond’s carpetbag and his mother’s little trunk, got upon the box himself and drove off; and Diamond was quite proud of riding home in his father’s own carriage. But when he got to the mews, he could not help being a little dismayed at first; and if he had never been to the back of the north wind, I am afraid he would have cried a little. But instead of that, he said to himself it was a fine thing all the old furniture was there. And instead of helping his mother to be miserable at the change, he began to find out all the advantages of the place; for every place has some advantages, and they are always better worth knowing than the disadvantages. Certainly the weather was depressing, for a thick, dull, persistent rain was falling by the time they reached home. But happily the weather is very changeable; and besides, there was a good fire burning in the room, which their neighbour with the drunken husband had attended to for them; and the tea-things were put out, and the kettle was boiling on the fire. And with a good fire, and tea and bread and butter, things cannot be said to be miserable.
Diamond’s father and mother were, notwithstanding, rather miserable, and Diamond began to feel a kind of darkness beginning to spread over his own mind. But the same moment he said to himself, “This will never do. I can’t give in to this. I’ve been to the back of the north wind. Things go right there, and so I must try to get things to go right here. I’ve got to fight the miserable things. They shan’t make me miserable if I can help it.” I do not mean that he thought these very words. They are perhaps too grown up for him to have thought, but they represent the kind of thing that was in his heart and his head. And when heart and head go together, nothing can stand before them.
“What nice bread and butter this is!” said Diamond.
“I’m glad you like it, my dear” said his father. “I bought the butter myself at the little shop round the corner.”
“It’s very nice, thank you, father. Oh, there’s baby waking! I’ll take him.”
“Sit still, Diamond,” said his mother. “Go on with your bread and butter. You’re not strong enough to lift him yet.”
So she took the baby herself, and set him on her knee. Then Diamond began to amuse him, and went on till the little fellow was shrieking with laughter. For the baby’s world was his mother’s arms; and the drizzling rain, and the dreary mews,
