“Oh, do let us have some milk, and don’t mind her!” said Orion.

The man jumped down off the cart, and, turning a tap in the great big can, poured out a glass of foaming milk.  He gave it to Orion, who drank it all off at the first draught.  He then filled out a second measure, which he gave to Diana.  She took it, raised it to her lips, took one or two sips, and then gave it to Orion.

“There’s something sick inside of me,” she said.  “I don’t know what’s the matter; I isn’t well.”

“She had a bad fall last night at the circus,” said Orion.  “She fell from one of the rings.  I s’pect something’s cracked inside her head.”

“I s’pect something’s c’acked inside my head,” echoed Diana, looking up piteously.  “I want to go to the garding; I want to lie down.”

“Well, look here,” said the man; “this is more than I can understand.  You had best, both of you, go back to the circus, and let the people who has the charge of you see what’s the matter.”

“No!” screamed Orion; “never! never!”

He suddenly put wings to his little feet, and began to fly down the road, away from the milkman.

Diana stood quite still.

“Aren’t he silly little boy?” she said.  “But he mustn’t go back to circus, milkman; it would kill him.  I isn’t able to wide to-day, ’cos I’s c’acked inside my head; and he mustn’t wide without me, ’cos it would kill him.  Couldn’t we go to your house, milkman, and rest there for a bit?”

“Well, to be sure; I never thought of that,” said the man.  “So you shall, and welcome.  Jump up beside me on the cart, missy.”

“I can’t, ’cos my head’s c’acked,” said Diana.

“Then I’ll lift you up.  Here, you sit there and lean against the big milk can.  Now, we’ll set Peggy going, and she will soon overtake little master.”

Diana laughed gleefully.

“Do you know, you’s an awfu’ nice man?” she said.

“I am glad you think so, missy.”

The man took the reins and Peggy started forward.  They soon overtook little Orion, who was lifted also into the milk cart.  Then the milkman turned swiftly round and carried the children back to a small house on the outskirts of the town.  When he got there he called out in a lusty voice: 

“Hi, Bessie! are you within?”

A woman with a smiling face came to the door.

“Now, what in the world is the matter with you, Jonathan?” she answered.

“Only this, wife.  I met the queerest little pair in all the world on the road.  Can’t you take them in and give them rest for a bit?  I believe the little miss is hurt awful.”

“I’s c’acked inside my head, but it don’t matter,” said Diana.

The woman stared from the children to the man; then something in Diana’s face went straight to her heart.

“Why, you poor little mite,” she said, “come along this minute.  Why, Jonathan, don’t you know her?  Course it’s the little missy that we both saw in the circus last night.  Didn’t I see her when she fell from the ring?  Oh, poor little dear! poor little love!”