“I’ve brought you one at last!” cried the Rag-Bone Man. “Here she is! I’ve got one for you at last! Somebody to play with! Here she is, and she’s going to stay with you and play with you, and never go home any more! Now we’ve got her we’ll _keep_ her. Now you’ll have company! Ain’t she a pretty one, though? Ain’t I a good father? Come in, come on in!” He seized the two little girls by the hand and ran into the house with them. It was a tiny house, with only two rooms, one in front and one behind. The Rag-Bone Man began to get out plates and knives and forks and set them about on a table in the front room. The two little girls stood staring at each other. “What’s your name?” said the Rag-Bone Man’s little girl. “Merrimeg,” said she. “My name is Rags. That’s my father. He’s been trying for a long, long time to bring me somebody to live with me here and play with me, but they always ran away from him. You’re the first. Are you lonely?” “No,” said Merrimeg. “I am. But I won’t be any longer. I’ve got you to play with me now.” “Can’t I--ever--go home--any more?” said Merrimeg. “Oh, father!” said little Rags. “She wants to go home already!” “Go home?” cried the Rag-Bone Man. “Are you talking about going home already? Oh, dear, _don’t_ make me cry again! If you talk like that, I’ll cry, I _know_ I will! You _can’t_ leave us! It wouldn’t do! No, no! Sit down and eat your supper. Oh, dear, she wants to go home!” They sat down at the table, but Merrimeg couldn’t eat; and after supper Rags and Merrimeg went to bed together in a little bed in the back room. The stars shone in through the window. “To-morrow,” said Rags, pulling the covers up over Merrimeg, “we’ll have a grand play in the woods all day. Oh, won’t I be happy, though! I know where there’s a lot of wild strawberries, and a brook with crawly things on the bottom, and--oh, I’m so glad you’ve come! And father won’t ever let you leave me as long as you live! Oh, isn’t it jolly! I’ll never be lonely any more!” She sighed with happiness, and nestled her head down on the pillow, and went to sleep. But Merrimeg didn’t go to sleep. She thought about her mother, and what would happen if she never went home any more, and how she would miss her mother, and what the other children in the village would say after she’d been away for years and years, and--she sat up in bed. The little house was very still. She made up her mind that if she was ever going to get home, she had better try to steal away now. She got up quietly and dressed herself, and opened the door of the front room on a crack and peeked in. A candle was burning on the table in there, and the Rag-Bone Man was over at the other side of the room, opening the drawers of a bureau one after another, and rummaging about inside. He was sniffling dreadfully.