Christmas stories; Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870. Christmas carol -- Fiction; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction
"You look so hot and tired," she said, and her smile was so frankly
sympathetic, so commanding in its sweetness, that Mr. Bingle promptly
sat down and said that it beat all how hot the weather was for early
May. Perhaps they WOULD come for her, he went on shyly; if she didn't
mind calling Frederick, that would be sufficient. Frederick was the
rebel leader. He ought to be spanked. She smiled again, and Mr. Bingle
said to himself that he'd never seen anything so nice. As she walked
away, bent on rounding-up the three boys and Kathleen, he was impressed
by the slim, graceful figure and the manner in which she carried
herself. Nothing ordinary or common about THAT girl, said he; nothing
bold or immodest. Out of the goodness of her heart she had proffered
assistance, as any gently born person would have done. His heart warmed
toward her. It wasn't often that one encountered a pretty girl who was
considerate, sweet-natured and polite to her elders, especially in New
York City. He almost forgot Henrietta and Guinevere in his
contemplation of this extraordinary phenomenon. Indeed, Henrietta's
blubberings went quite unnoticed for some little time, and it was not
until Guinevere sent up a sympathetic howl that he remembered the
"littlest ones" and hastily took them upon his knees, dropping his hat
in his haste.
He was considerably amazed by the swiftness with which his ally
"rounded-up" the five roisterers. She went about it sweetly, even
gaily, yet with a certain authority that had an instant effect on the
youngsters. Almost before he knew what had happened, she was
approaching him with the flushed, mischievous "kiddies" in tow. They
were staring at the strange, beautiful young lady with wide-open,
fascinated eyes. They were abashed, puzzled; meek with wonder. When she
extended her hands to Kathleen and Marie Louise, they came to her shyly
and then, without so much as a glance at the three boys, she calmly led
them back to the marvelling little millionaire. It was a crafty way of
bringing the boys, to time. Their curiosity, cupidity, envy--what you
will--brought them scurrying up to the group, and not a face was
missing from the ranks when she stopped before Mr. Bingle and said:
"And now that we have them, bound hand and foot, what are we to do with
them? Put them in a dungeon and feed them on bread and water?"
"I don't see how you did it," said Mr. Bingle. "It was really quite
wonderful. Perhaps it was because you are so very pretty. I think, if
you don't object, I'll put 'em in the 'bus, take 'em home and feed them
on milk and honey and jam. Thank you, thank you ever so much."
"I love children and I believe that children like me," said she, her
fingers gently caressing Kathleen's brown, tumbled locks. "That
explains it, I am sure. Now, boys, run on ahead and tell the chauffeur
your father is coming. And, listen to me: your father is tired and
very, very warm. You must not cause him any more distress. I am sure
you won't, will you?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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