I love it."

"Does loving a thing make it yours?"

"I think so, mother. Baby's mine because I love her, and so are you.
Love makes the only _my-ness_, doesn't it, mother?"

"Perhaps so, Diamond. Yes, I think it does," said his mother.

When his father came home for his dinner he looked very sad. He had not
got a single fare the whole morning.

"We shall just have to go to the work-house," he said and dropped into a
chair in despair. Just then, came a knock at the door and in walked Mr.
Raymond! Of course, he wanted to see the horses at once. And when he saw
how fat Ruby was and how poor was faithful old Diamond--and when,
moreover, he remembered how poor and starved the family looked though
Nanny was still there and kindly treated--he knew that Diamond's father
had been stanch and true to his bargain, though it had turned out to be
a hard one. He was a man worth helping--that was clear! And Mr. Raymond
was now ready to help him as much as he needed.

He first pointed out that old Diamond needed only to be fattened up and
Ruby thinned down to make of them a fine pair of horses for his country
home to which he was now going. And Diamond's father should go along as
coachman. There would be regular wages again and a much more comfortable
home in the country.

"And now, will you sell me old Diamond?" asked Mr. Raymond. "If you
will, here are twenty pounds for him, if you think that is enough."

"I will sell him to you, sir," answered Diamond's father, "if you
promise to let me buy him back if I can, if you ever wish to sell him. I
could _not_ part with him without that. Though as to who calls him his,
that is nothing. For I believe it's true what my little Diamond
says--that it's loving a thing that makes it yours."

"You shall have that chance," said Mr. Raymond. So the bargain was made.
How Diamond capered about at the thought of going to the beautiful
country to live and having a yard and grass to play on! It would be like
the old home at Mr. Coleman's--perhaps even nicer than that. How he
danced the baby and sang to it!

"And North Wind told me, Baby dear! She sang in my ears how bad things
are just a chance to make good things come!"

CHAPTER X

DIAMOND IN HIS NEW HOME

Before the end of the month, Ruby had got a great deal thinner and old
Diamond a good deal fatter. They really began to look fit to go in
double harness. Diamond's father and mother got their things all packed
up and were ready t