want to go too, poor Ruby, don't you?" I said; and I went in
search of meats to console him.

He accepted a good breakfast from my hands with gratitude, and then
curled himself up with one eye watchful as before. The reason of his
proceedings was finally made evident by his determined struggles to
accompany us at the last; and it was not till he had been forcibly
shut up in the coach-house that we were able to start. My grief at
parting with him was lessened by the distraction of another question.

Of all places about our equipage, I should have preferred riding with
the postilion. Short of that, I was most anxious to sit behind in the
rumble with my nurse. This favour was at length conceded, and after a
long farewell from my father, gilded with a sovereign in my pocket, I
was, with a mountain of wraps, consigned to the care of Nurse Bundle
in the back seat.

The dew was still on the ground, the birds sang their loudest, the
morning air was fresh and delicious, and before we had driven five
miles on our way I could have eaten three such breakfasts as the one I
had rejected at six o'clock. In the first two villages through which
we drove people seemed to be only just getting up and beginning the
day's business. In one or two "genteel" houses the blinds were still
down; in reference to which I resolved that when _I_ grew up I would
not waste the best part of the day in bed, with the sun shining, the
birds singing, the flowers opening, and country people going about
their business, all beyond my closed windows.

"Nurse, please, I should like always to have breakfast at six o'clock.
Do you hear, Nursey?" I added, for Mrs. Bundle feigned to be absorbed
in contemplating a flock of sheep which were being driven past us.

"Very well, my dear. We'll see."

That "we'll see" of Nurse Bundle's was a sort of moral soothing-syrup
which she kept to allay inconvenient curiosity and over-pertinacious
projects in the nursery.

I had soon reason to decide that if I had breakfast at six, luncheon
would not be unacceptable at half-past ten, at about which time I lost
sight of the scenery and confined my attention to a worsted workbag in
which Nurse Bundle had a store of most acceptable buns. Halting
shortly after this to water the horses, a glass of milk was got for me
from a wayside inn, over the door of which hung a small gate, on whose
bars the following legend was painted:--

"This gate hangs well
And hinders none.