"Are you going with me to try to find heaven again?"
"Perhaps: who knows, picciola? The heaven you miss may come to you
more easily if you go to seek it. At any rate, I will carry thee no
farther from it. But come: we must get to our journey."
Leaving the confectioner's shop, Giovanni lingered no longer in the
gay streets, or even upon the fresh green grass of the Common, where
Cherry would have staid to play all day. Hurrying across it, and
through some crowded streets, the Italian entered a large
station-house, where stood the train of cars, already half filled
with passengers; while the engine, puffing and panting with
impatience, seemed unwilling to wait a moment longer.
Leaving Cherry in the ladies' room, the Italian bought his tickets,
and reclaimed from the baggage-room, where he had left it, his
organ, with Pantalon chained to the top of it. Then, calling the
child, he hurried with her into the cars, and selected a seat behind
the door, in the evident wish of being seen as little as possible.
"Now, then, Ciriegia mia, we go to seek our fortune," said he, as
the train left the station, and began to rush through the suburbs of
the city, scattering little dirty children, vagrant dogs, leisurely
pigs, and dawdling carriages driven by honest old ladies, from its
track.
Cherry never had ridden in the cars before; and she clung tight to
the sleeve of her companion, afraid to move, or even to speak, until
he laughingly asked,--
"It does not fear, the poor little one, does it?"
"No, I guess not, 'Varny," replied the child doubtfully; but the
Italian sharply said,--
"What is this 'Varny you say? I am mio padre."
"I forgot. Won't I tumble out of this carriage, my father, it goes
so quick?"
"Fear nothing, figlia mia. You are safe with me and with Pantalon,"
said the Italian, drawing the little girl close to his side; while
the monkey, crouching upon the organ at their feet, chattered his
own promises of protection and comfort.
With 'Toinette, to live was to love and trust; and, clinging close
to her new guardian's side, she laid her little shining head upon
his breast, clinging with one hand to the lappet of his coat; and,
laughing down at Pantalon, she fell presently asleep.
At night the Italian left the train, and took lodgings at a hotel
near the centre of a large town. His little charge-tired, hungry,
and sleepy-was very glad to have supper, and to be allowed to go to
bed, where she slept soundly until summoned the next morning by
Giovanni, who brought her some breakfast with his own hands, and,
placing it upon the table, laid a bundle of clothes beside it.
"Rise and eat, carissima," said be gayly; "and then make thyself as
beautiful as the morning with these fine clothes. See, here are
roses from the garden for a wreath! They are better than the others.
When thou art ready, come out to me."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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