h back!

"A watched kettle never boils, Miss Diana," said Nurse. "You'd much
better come away from the window and play, and then the time'd pass
quicker."

But Diana would not move. Just as Nurse spoke she caught sight of a
bonnet in the distance just like Mother's, but she had been so often
deceived that she hardly dared to hope. It came nearer--it was opposite
the house. Oh, joy! Mother's face, with an expression of triumphant
satisfaction upon it, looked up to the nursery window. No wonder it was
triumphant, for under her arm there appeared a yellow and white head,
with silky ears and large dark eyes. Sarah was found! It seemed almost
too good to be true.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

You may imagine how Diana rejoiced over Sarah and petted her, and how
interested she and everyone else were to hear how the little dog had
been traced to a coachman's house in a mews close by. Sarah, on her
side, seemed very glad to be with her dear little mistress again, and
after returning her caresses curled herself up and went to sleep on the
sofa, no doubt tired with her adventures. How Diana wished she could
tell her all she had done and seen on that Sunday when everyone had been
so unhappy about her!

"Where did you go, you darling?" she asked her over and over again, but
Sarah never answered. She only wagged her fringy tail, and licked her
mistress's hand, and goggled at her with her full dark eyes. And yet
Diana felt quite sure that she had many strange and interesting things
to tell, if she only could.

One afternoon she was lying on the schoolroom sofa with Sarah by her
side. It was a very hot day, the blinds were down and the windows wide
open, so that the distant rumble of the carts and carriages came up from
the street below. There was an organ playing too, and as Diana listened
dreamily to these noises, and stroked Sarah's head with one hand, she
began to wonder again about those wonderful adventures.

"Tell me where you went on Sunday," she whispered once more.

To her great surprise, she plainly heard, among all the other noises,
the sound of a tiny voice close to her. She listened eagerly, and this
is what it said:

"You must know, my dear mistress, that I have long had a great wish to
see more of the world. The park is pleasant enough, but after all if
you are led on a string and not allowed to speak to other dogs, it soon
becomes dull and tiresom