CHAPTER XXIX

RUBY


THE children were delighted with the story, and made many amusing
remarks upon it. Mr. Raymond promised to search his brain for another,
and when he had found one to bring it to them. Diamond having
taken leave of Nanny, and promised to go and see her again soon,
went away with him.

Now Mr. Raymond had been turning over in his mind what he could do both
for Diamond and for Nanny. He had therefore made some acquaintance
with Diamond's father, and had been greatly pleased with him.
But he had come to the resolution, before he did anything so good
as he would like to do for them, to put them all to a certain test.
So as they walked away together, he began to talk with Diamond
as follows:--

"Nanny must leave the hospital soon, Diamond."

"I'm glad of that, sir."

"Why? Don't you think it's a nice place?"

"Yes, very. But it's better to be well and doing something, you know,
even if it's not quite so comfortable."

"But they can't keep Nanny so long as they would like. They can't
keep her till she's quite strong. There are always so many sick