"Well, he needn't be. If you'll manage him I won't say a word." "Won't you twuly? Then I love you," said Diana. "Now, listen to me--I has been a-talking to him." "That's right, missy. Have a sip of my stout, won't you?" "No; I don't like it; it's black, nasty stuff. Put it away; I won't touch it. Well, now, listen to me, Uncle Ben. It apends altogether on whether you is good to Orion to-morrow or not whether he wides well, or whether he wides badly, and what I think is this--" "Well, missy, you are a very wise little miss for your age." "What I think is this," repeated Diana. "Let Orion wide G'eased Lightning and let me wide Pole Star." "But you can do anything with Greased Lightning," said the man. "Why, the 'orse fairly loves you, and Pole Star's a rare and wicious sort of beast." "I aren't fwightened; that aren't me," said Diana, in her usual proud, confident tone. "Orion isn't to wide a wicious sort of beast." She slipped down from the man's knees and stood before him. "It aren't me to be fwightened of any horse," she said. "I never was and I never will be." "I believe yer, miss," said Uncle Ben, gazing at her with great admiration. "But Orion he is--he is awfu' fwightened of Pole Star, and he sha'n't wide him. Now, G'eased Lightning, he'll do anything for me, and so what I say is this--let Orion wide him, and if he begins to dance about and get sort of fidgety, why, I'll stwoke him down. You know I could pwactice widing a little on Pole Star in the morning." "To be sure you could, missy." "Oh, my dear Ben," said Aunt Sarah at that moment, "you are never a-going to let either of them little kids ride a 'orse like Pole Star?" "You let me manage my own affairs," said the man, scowling angrily. "Well, I call it a shame," answered the woman. "Poor Aunt Sawah! you needn't be fwightened," said Diana. "I is never fwightened; that aren't me. I'll wide Pole Star, and Orion, he'll wide G'eased Lightning, _only_--now, Uncle Ben, is you listening?" "Yes, to be sure I am, missy," said Uncle Ben, taking another deep draught from his big glass of stout. "What's the 'only,' little miss?" "Let's pertend," said Diana. "Pretend what, missy?" "That after Orion has done it, after he has wode G'eased Lightning, he may go 'way." "Go away, missy?" "Yes, let's pertend it. If he thinks he's going away after he has done it, why, there's nothing he won't twy to do, 'cos, you see, he's longing to go. Let's say this to him: 'Orion, you's good boy, you's darlin' boy, and when you has done what I want you to do, you shall go way'--then he'll do it beaut'ful." "But he aint a-going," said the man, "he's my property. I has bought him; I has bought you both. You are sort of slaves to me." "No, I aren't a slave to nobody," said Diana, whose fierce little blood could not brook this word. "Well, you are a very good little gal, and so I am to pretend to Orion that he's going away; but now, when I don't mean him to go, that seems sort of cruel."