"I'll take the
greatest care of it--why, here are the children again!"
"We could only but find six dindledums," said Bruno, putting them into
my hands, "'cause Sylvie said it were time to go back. And here's a
big blackberry for ooself! We couldn't only find but two!"
"Thank you: it's very nice," I said. And I suppose you ate the other,
Bruno?"
"No, I didn't," Bruno said, carelessly. "Aren't they pretty dindledums,
Mister Sir?"
"Yes, very: but what makes you limp so, my child?"
"Mine foot's come hurted again!" Bruno mournfully replied. And he sat
down on the ground, and began nursing it.
The Professor held his head between his hands--an attitude that I knew
indicated distraction of mind. "Better rest a minute," he said.
"It may be better then--or it may be worse. If only I had some of my
medicines here! I'm Court-Physician, you know," he added, aside to me.
"Shall I go and get you some blackberries, darling?" Sylvie whispered,
with her arms round his neck; and she kissed away a tear that was
trickling down his cheek.
Bruno brightened up in a moment. "That are a good plan!" he exclaimed.
"I thinks my foot would come quite unhurted, if I eated a blackberry--
two or three blackberries--six or seven blackberries--"
Sylvie got up hastily. "I'd better go she said, aside to me, before he
gets into the double figures!
Let me come and help you, I said. I can reach higher up than you can.
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