They wandered on and on, sometimes sitting on a door-step, but always turning into lanes or fields when they had a chance. They found themselves at last on a rising ground that sloped rather steeply on the other side. It was a waste kind of spot below, bounded by an irregular wall, with a few doors in it. Outside lay broken things in general, from garden rollers to flower-pots and wine-bottles. But the moment they reached the brow of the rising ground, a gust of wind seized them and blew them down hill as fast as they could run. Nor could Diamond stop before he went bang against one of the doors in the wall. To his dismay it burst open. When they came to themselves they peeped in. It was the back door of a garden. “Ah, ah!” cried Diamond, after staring for a few moments, “I thought so! North Wind takes nobody in! Here I am in master's garden! I tell you what, little girl, you just bore a hole in old Sal's wall, and put your mouth to it, and say, 'Please, North Wind, mayn't I go out with you?' and then you'll see what'll come.” “I daresay I shall. But I'm out in the wind too often already to want more of it.” “I said with the North Wind, not in it.” “It's all one.” “It's not all one.” “It is all one.” “But I know best.” “And I know better. I'll box your ears,” said the girl. Diamond got very angry. But he remembered that even if she did box his ears, he musn't box hers again, for she was a girl, and all that boys must do, if girls are rude, is to go away and leave them. So he went in at the door. “Good-bye, mister” said the girl. This brought Diamond to his senses. “I'm sorry I was cross,” he said. “Come in, and my mother will give you some breakfast.” “No, thank you. I must be off to my crossing. It's morning now.” “I'm very sorry for you,” said Diamond. “Well, it is a life to be tired of--what with old Sal, and so many holes in my shoes.” “I wonder you're so good. I should kill myself.” “Oh, no, you wouldn't! When I think of it, I always want to see what's coming next, and so I always wait till next is over. Well! I suppose there's somebody happy somewheres. But it ain't in them carriages. Oh my! how they do look sometimes--fit to bite your head off! Good-bye!” She ran up the hill and disappeared behind it. Then Diamond shut the door as he best could, and ran through the kitchen-garden to the stable. And wasn't he glad to get into his own blessed bed again! CHAPTER V. THE SUMMER-HOUSE