and
compassion, the poodle next bethought himself of finding her a stick or
a stone to throw for him; Bennie was never tired of playing this game
with him, and perhaps the baby might like it too. He ran sniffing about
with his nose to the ground, and presently caught sight of something
that glistened, lying in the grass near the cart. It was the little
clog. Quite unconscious of making a lucky hit, he took it in his mouth,
carried it to her, and placed it with gentle care close to her ear.
This time Mossoo had done the right thing, for when she saw what he had
brought, a watery little smile gleamed through baby's tears, her sobs
ceased, she sat up and seized the clog triumphantly. Waving it about in
her small uncertain hands, she hit the friendly poodle smartly on the
nose with it as he stood near; then leaning forward, grasped his
drooping moustache and pulled it, which hurt him still more; but he did
not cease to wag his tail with pleasure at his success.

From that day "Mossy," as she called the dog, was added to the number of
baby's friends--the other two were Bennie and the little clog. To this
last she confided, in language of her own, much that no one else
understood, and Seraminta did not again attempt to take it from her.
She was thankful that the child had something to soothe her in the
stormy fits of crying which came when she was offended or thwarted in
her will. At such times she would kick and struggle until her little
strength was exhausted, and at last drop off to sleep with the clog
cuddled up to her breast. Seraminta began to feel doubtful as to the
advantages of her theft, and Perrin, the gypsy man, swore at his wife
and reproached her in the strongest language for having brought the
child away.

"I tell you what, my gal," he said one day, "the proper place for that
child's the house, an' that's where she'll go soon as I git a chance.
She've the sperrit of a duchess an' as 'orty in her ways as a queen.
She'll never be no good to us in our line o' bizness, an' I'm not agoin'
to keep her."

They wrangled and quarrelled over the subject continually, for
Seraminta, partly from obstinacy, and partly because the child was so
handsome, wished to keep her, and teach her to perform with the poodle
in the streets. But all the while she had an inward feeling that Perrin
would outwit her, and get his own way. And this turned out to be the
case.

Travelling slowly but steadily along, sometimes stoppi