d the chilblains bad,
so Mrs. Duke gave 'em to me. Beautiful red gloves!" She began cackling
to herself, staring hard at the children as she did so. She had brown,
staring eyes that looked very large and fierce in her thin face.

"Where's your nuss?" she asked, beginning to walk along by the side of
the children.

"Our what?" asked Dumpty, puzzled.

"She means nurse," said Humpty, with great emphasis. "Nan is ill with a
cold in her head," he explained, "and mum has just made her go to bed
and drink hot milk."

"I often see ye passin'," said Poor Jane conversationally.

"Yes," said Humpty, who was still holding his sister's hand tight, "we
often come this way for a walk, and we always see you."

"You always walk this way, don't you?" said Dumpty bravely, though she
still trembled with fright.

"Yes, I allus come along 'ere, every day, wet or fine."

"Why?" asked Humpty, who had an inquiring mind.

Then the old woman seized him by the arm. Humpty turned white with
terror, but his courage did not forsake him.

"Why?" he repeated boldly.

The old woman pinched his arm.

"Don't you know why I come here?" she asked, her voice getting shriller
and shriller; "don't you know why I walk up and down this road every
day, fine or wet, through snow and hail?" She lowered her voice
mysteriously, and clutched hold of Dumpty, who could not help shrieking.
"You're a lucky little miss; you keep your brother as long as you can.
Ah! my poor brother, my poor brother!"

"Is your brother dead?" asked Dumpty sympathetically. She was not so
frightened now, for although the old woman still held her pretty tight
she did not look as if she meant to hurt them.

"No, he is alive! He is alive! They tell me he is dead, but I know
better. A circus came to Woodstead" (the little shopping-town two miles
from the village), "and he joined that--he had to go; the circus
people--they was gipsies most of 'em--forced him--and he 'ad to go; 'e
is a clown now."

"A clown!" cried the twins.

"Yus, and they won't let 'im come back to his poor old Jane. They're a
keepin' us apart, they're a keepin' us apart!" And her voice died away
in a wail. She stopped in the middle of the road.

"Poor Jane!" whispered Dumpty; "poor Jane! I am so sorry"; but Jane took
no more notice of them, but went on murmuring to herself, "Keepin' us
apart--keepin' us apart."

"Come on, Dump," said Humpty at last; "it's no good staying, she doesn't
seem to want us." Dum