his mother, but she said nothing.

"Oh! now I remember," Diamond went on. "Father told me that day I went
to Epping Forest with him, that the rose-bushes, and the may-bushes, and
the holly-bushes were the bird's barns, for there were the hips, and the
haws, and the holly-berries, all ready for the winter."

"Yes; that's all very true. So you see the birds are provided for. But
there are no such barns for you and me, Diamond."

"Ain't there?"

"No. We've got to work for our bread."

"Then let's go and work," said Diamond, getting up.

"It's no use. We've not got anything to do."

"Then let's wait."

"Then we shall starve."

"No. There's the basket. Do you know, mother, I think I shall call that
basket the barn."

"It's not a very big one. And when it's empty--where are we then?"

"At auntie's cupboard," returned Diamond promptly.

"But we can't eat auntie's things all up and leave her to starve."

"No, no. We'll go back to father before that. He'll have found a
cupboard somewhere by that time."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't know it. But I haven't got even a cupboard, and I've always had
plenty to eat. I've heard you say I had too much, sometimes."

"But I tell you that's because I've had a cupboard for you, child."

"And when yours was empty, auntie opened hers."

"But that can't go on."

"How do you know? I think there must be a big cupboard somewhere, out of
which the little cupboards are filled, you know, mother."

"Well, I wish I could find the door of that cupboard," said his mother.
But the same moment she stopped, and was silent for a good while. I
cannot tell whether Diamond knew what she was thinking, but I think I
know. She had heard something at church the day before, which came back
upon her--something like this, that she hadn't to eat for tomorrow as
well as for to-day; and that what was not wanted couldn't be missed.
So, instead of saying anything more, she stretched out her hand for the
basket, and she and Diamond had their dinner.

And Diamond did enjoy it. For the drive and the fresh air had made him
quite hungry; and he did not, like his mother, trouble himself about
what they should dine off that day week. The fact was he had lived so
long without any food at all at the back of the north wind, that he knew
quite well that food was not essential to existence; that in fact, under
certain circumstances, people could live without it well enough.

His mother did not speak muc