, my donkeys,
jingling along, with their neat little feet and sad eyes... Well, madam,
would you believe it, I waited for a long time and pretended to be
asleep, and then suddenly I sat up and called out as loud as I could, "I
do want to go on a donkey. I do want a donkey-ride!" You see, I had to
say it, and I thought they wouldn't laugh at me if they knew I was only
dreaming. Artful--wasn't it? Just what a silly child would think...

... No, madam, never now. Of course, I did think of it at one time. But
it wasn't to be. He had a little flower-shop just down the road and
across from where we was living. Funny--wasn't it? And me such a one for
flowers. We were having a lot of company at the time, and I was in and
out of the shop more often than not, as the saying is. And Harry and
I (his name was Harry) got to quarrelling about how things ought to be
arranged--and that began it. Flowers! you wouldn't believe it,
madam, the flowers he used to bring me. He'd stop at nothing. It was
lilies-of-the-valley more than once, and I'm not exaggerating! Well, of
course, we were going to be married and live over the shop, and it was
all going to be just so, and I was to have the window to arrange... Oh,
how I've done that window of a Saturday! Not really, of course, madam,
just dreaming, as you might say. I've done it for Christmas--motto in
holly, and all--and I've had my Easter lilies with a gorgeous star all
daffodils in the middle. I've hung--well, that's enough of that. The day
came he was to call for me to choose the furniture. Shall I ever forget
it? It was a Tuesday. My lady wasn't quite herself that afternoon. Not
that she'd said anything, of course; she never does or will. But I knew
by the way that she kept wrapping herself up and asking me if it was
cold--and her little nose looked... pinched. I didn't like leaving her; I
knew I'd be worrying all the time. At last I asked her if she'd rather
I put it off. "Oh no, Ellen," she said, "you mustn't mind about me. You
mustn't disappoint your young man." And so cheerful, you know, madam,
never thinking about herself. It made me feel worse than ever. I began
to wonder... then she dropped her handkerchief and began to stoop down to
pick it up herself--a thing she never did. "Whatever are you doing!" I
cried, running to stop her. "Well," she said, smiling, you know, madam,
"I shall have to begin to practise." Oh, it was all I could do not to
burst out crying. I went over to the dre