comfortable for it? And was not Nanny more comfortable too?
And indeed was not Diamond himself more comfortable that other people
were more comfortable? And if there was more comfort every way,
the change was a happy one.



CHAPTER XXXII

DIAMOND AND RUBY


IT WAS Friday night, and Diamond, like the rest of the household,
had had very little to eat that day. The mother would always pay
the week's rent before she laid out anything even on food. His father
had been very gloomy--so gloomy that he had actually been cross
to his wife. It is a strange thing how pain of seeing the suffering
of those we love will sometimes make us add to their suffering
by being cross with them. This comes of not having faith enough
in God, and shows how necessary this faith is, for when we lose it,
we lose even the kindness which alone can soothe the suffering.
Diamond in consequence had gone to bed very quiet and thoughtful--
a little troubled indeed.

It had been a very stormy winter. and even now that the spring
had come, the north wind often blew. When Diamond went to his bed,
which was in a tiny room in the roof, he heard it like the
sea moaning; and when he fell asleep he still heard the moaning.
All at once he said to himself, "Am I awake, or am I asleep?"
But he had no time to answer the question, for there was North