Дети железной дороги
For valour.
ButwhenshehadbreathlesslypantedoutthenewstotheRussianandMothersittinginthequietgarden—whenMother’sfacehadlightedupsobeautifully,andshehadsaidhalfadozenquickFrenchwordstotheExile—BobbiewishedthatshehadNOTcarriedthenews.FortheRussiansprangupwithacrythatmadeBobbie’sheartleapandthentremble—acryofloveandlongingsuchasshehadneverheard.ThenhetookMother’shandandkisseditgentlyandreverently—andthenhesankdowninhischairandcoveredhisfacewithhishandsandsobbed.Bobbiecreptaway.Shedidnotwanttoseetheothersjustthen.
ButshewasasgayasanybodywhentheendlessFrenchtalkingwasover,whenPeterhadtorndowntothevillageforbunsandcakes,andthegirlshadgotteareadyandtakenitoutintothegarden.
Theoldgentlemanwasmostmerryanddelightful.HeseemedtobeabletotalkinFrenchandEnglishalmostatthesamemoment,andMotherdidnearlyaswell.Itwasadelightfultime.Motherseemedasifshecouldnotmakeenoughfussabouttheoldgentleman,andshesaidyesatoncewhenheaskedifhemightpresentsome"goodies"tohislittlefriends.
Thewordwasnewtothechildren—buttheyguessedthatitmeantsweets,forthethreelargepinkandgreenboxes,tiedwithgreenribbon,whichhetookoutofhisbag,heldunheard-oflayersofbeautifulchocolates.
TheRussian’sfewbelongingswerepacked,andtheyallsawhimoffatthestation.
