Маленька принцеса
The Diamond Mines
"SowouldI,"saidSara;"Isupposeyoumightmakefriendswitharatintime,butIdon’tbelieveIshouldliketomakefriendswithacockroach."
SometimesBeckydidnotdaretospendmorethanafewminutesinthebright,warmroom,andwhenthiswasthecaseperhapsonlyafewwordscouldbeexchanged,andasmallpurchaseslippedintotheold-fashionedpocketBeckycarriedunderherdressskirt,tiedroundherwaistwithabandoftape.Thesearchforanddiscoveryofsatisfyingthingstoeatwhichcouldbepackedintosmallcompass,addedanewinteresttoSara’sexistence.Whenshedroveorwalkedout,sheusedtolookintoshopwindowseagerly.Thefirsttimeitoccurredtohertobringhometwoorthreelittlemeatpies,shefeltthatshehadhituponadiscovery.Whensheexhibitedthem,Becky’seyesquitesparkled.
"Oh,miss!"shemurmured."Themwillbenicean’fillin.’It’sfillin’nessthat’sbest.Spongecake’sa’evenlything,butitmeltsawaylike—ifyouunderstand,miss.These’lljustSTAYinyerstummick."
"Well,"hesitatedSara,"Idon’tthinkitwouldbegoodiftheystayedalways,butIdobelievetheywillbesatisfying."
Theyweresatisfying—andsowerebeefsandwiches,boughtatacook-shop—andsowererollsandBolognasausage.Intime,Beckybegantoloseherhungry,tiredfeeling,andthecoalboxdidnotseemsounbearablyheavy.
Howeverheavyitwas,andwhatsoeverthetemperofthecook,andthehardnessoftheworkheapeduponhershoulders,shehadalwaysthechanceoftheafternoontolookforwardto—thechancethatMissSarawouldbeabletobeinhersittingroom.Infact,themereseeingofMissSarawouldhavebeenenoughwithoutmeatpies.
