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general gloom； for he announced； in his squeaky voice； that they
were the very sausages that had lately been the dog。
Then Joey seemed to have a great idea； and his excitement was so
impressive that we stood gazing at him。 First； he counted the
sausages； and said that they were two short； and he found the
missing two up the pantaloon's sleeve。 Then he ran out of the
room and came back with the sausage…machine； and what do you
think he did？ He put all the sausages into the end of the
machine that they had issued from； and turned the handle
backward； and then out came the dog at the other end！
Can you picture the joy of David？
He clasped the dear little terrier in his arms； and then we
noticed that there was a sausage adhering to its tail。 The
pantaloon said we must have put in a sausage too many； but Joey
said the machine had not worked quite smoothly and that he feared
this sausage was the dog's bark； which distressed David； for he
saw how awkward it must be to a dog to have its bark outside； and
we were considering what should be done when the dog closed the
discussion by swallowing the sausage。
After that； David had the most hilarious hour of his life；
entering into the childish pleasures of this family as heartily
as if he had been brought up on sausages； and knocking the
pantaloon down repeatedly。 You must not think that he did this
viciously； he did it to please the old gentleman； who begged him
to do it； and always shook hands warmly and said 〃Thank you；〃
when he had done it。 They are quite a simple people。
Joey called David and me 〃Sonny；〃 and asked David； who addressed
him as 〃Mr。 Clown；〃 to call him Joey。 He also told us that the
pantaloon's name was old Joey； and the columbine's Josy； and the
harlequin's Joeykin。
We were sorry to hear that old Joey gave him a good deal of
trouble。 This was because his memory is so bad that he often
forgets whether it is your head or your feet you should stand on；
and he usually begins the day by standing on the end that happens
to get out of bed first。 Thus he requires constant watching； and
the worst of it is； you dare not draw attention to his mistake；
he is so shrinkingly sensitive about it。 No sooner had Joey told
us this than the poor old fellow began to turn upside down and
stood on his head； but we pretended not to notice； and talked
about the weather until he came to。
Josy and Joeykin； all skirts and spangles； were with us by this
time； for they had been invited to tea。 They came in dancing；
and danced off and on most of the time。 Even in the middle of
what they were saying they would begin to flutter； it was not so
much that they meant to dance as that the slightest thing set
them going； such as sitting in a draught； and David found he
could blow them about the room like pieces of paper。 You could
see by the shortness of Josy's dress that she was very young
indeed； and at first this made him shy； as he always is when
introduced formally to little girls； and he stood sucking his
thumb； and so did she； but soon the stiffness wore off and they
sat together on the sofa； holding each other's hands。
All this time the harlequin was rotating like a beautiful fish；
and David requested him to jump through the wall； at which he is
such an adept； and first he said he would； and then he said
better not； for the last time he did it the people in the next
house had made such a fuss。 David had to admit that it must be
rather startling to the people on the other side of the wall； but
he was sorry。
By this time tea was ready； and Josy； who poured out； remembered
to ask if you took milk with just one drop of tea in it； exactly
as her mother would have asked。 There was nothing to eat； of
course； except sausages； but what a number of them there were！
hundreds at least； strings of sausages； and every now and then
Joey jumped up and played skipping rope with them。 David had
been taught not to look greedy； even though he felt greedy； and
he was shocked to see the way in which Joey and old Joey and even
Josy eyed the sausages they had given him。 Soon Josy developed
nobler feelings； for she and Joeykin suddenly fell madly in love
with each other across the table； but unaffected by this pretty
picture； Joey continued to put whole sausages in his mouth at a
time； and then rubbed himself a little lower down； while old Joey
secreted them about his person； and when David wasn't looking
they both pounced on his sausages； and yet as they gobbled they
were constantly running to the top of the stair and screaming to
the servant to bring up more sausages。
You could see that Joey （if you caught him with his hand in your
plate） was a bit ashamed of himself； and he admitted to us that
sausages were a passion with him。
He said he had never once in his life had a sufficient number of
sausages。 They had maddened him since he was the smallest boy。
He told us how； even in those days； his mother had feared for
him； though fond of a sausage herself； how he had bought a
sausage with his first penny； and hoped to buy one with his last
（if they could not be got in any other way）； and that he always
slept with a string of them beneath his pillow。
While he was giving us these confidences； unfortunately； his eyes
came to rest； at first accidentally； then wistfully； then with a
horrid gleam in them； on the little dog； which was fooling about
on the top of the sausage…machine； and his hands went out toward
it convulsively； whereat David； in sudden fear； seized the dog in
one arm and gallantly clenched his other fist； and then Joey
begged his pardon and burst into tears； each one of which he
flung against the wall； where it exploded with a bang。
David refused to pardon him unless he promised on wood never to
look in that way at the dog again； but Joey said promises were
nothing to him when he was short of sausages； and so his wisest
course would be to present the dog to David。 Oh； the joy of
David when he understood that the little dog he had saved was his
very own！ I can tell you he was now in a hurry to be off before
Joey had time to change his mind。
〃All I ask of you；〃 Joey said with a break in his voice； 〃is to
call him after me； and always to give him a sausage； sonny； of a
Saturday night。〃
There was a quiet dignity about Joey at the end； which showed
that he might have risen to high distinction but for his fatal
passion。
The last we saw of him was from the street。 He was waving his
tongue at us in his attractive； foolish way； and Josy was poised
on Joeykin's hand like a butterfly that had alighted on a flower。
We could not exactly see old Joey； but we saw his feet； and so
feared the worst。 Of course they are not everything they should
be； but one can't help liking them。
XXIII
Pilkington's
On attaining the age of eight； or thereabout； children fly away
from the Gardens； and never come