"And I stroked it again, and then she stroked mine,--think of that!
And there was a ring on her finger, and I looked down to see what it
was like. And she drew it off, and put it upon one of my fingers.
It was a red stone, and she told me they called it a ruby."

"Oh, that is funny!" said Diamond. "Our new horse is called Ruby.
We've got another horse--a red one--such a beauty!"

But Nanny went on with her story.

"I looked at the ruby all the time the lady was talking to me,--
it was so beautiful! And as she talked I kept seeing deeper and deeper
into the stone. At last she rose to go away, and I began to pull
the ring off my finger; and what do you think she said?--"Wear
it all night, if you like. Only you must take care of it.
I can't give it you, for some one gave it to me; but you may keep it
till to-morrow." Wasn't it kind of her? I could hardly take my tea,
I was so delighted to hear it; and I do think it was the ring
that set me dreaming; for, after I had taken my tea, I leaned back,
half lying and half sitting, and looked at the ring on my finger.
By degrees I began to dream. The ring grew larger and larger,
until at last I found that I was not looking at a red stone,
but at a red sunset, which shone in at the end of a long street
near where Grannie lives. I was dressed in rags as I used to be,
and I had great holes in my shoes, at which the nasty mud came
through to my feet. I didn't use to mind it before, but now I thought
it horrid. And there was the great red sunset, with streaks of green
and gold between, standing looking at me. Why couldn't I live in
the sunset instead of in that dirt? Why was it so far away always?
Why did it never come into our wretched street? It faded away,