"Where is it to be found?" she asked.
"At the bottom of a Well, so I've heard."
"Then I suppose the first thing is to find the Well."
"Exactly so," he said. "Come, let us start." So they walked away hand inhand. They hunted all up and down the counter, and asked directions ofmany dolls. But never a Well could they find.
"See!" exclaimed the Farthing Doll at last; "here's a square thing thatlooks something like a Well. Go, open it and look down."
"What may be inside, though?" he said cautiously.
"Truth, Truth, you silly thing!" she said impatiently. "Go!"
So he went and opened the lid.
But it was not a Well at all. It was merely the abode ofJack-in-the-box, and when the Grocer looked in Jack jumped out. Hejumped up so suddenly that he knocked the Grocer flat on his back.
The poor fellow got up and rubbed his head.
"One gets very hard blows sometimes in the search for Truth," he saidruefully.
"You shouldn't be in such a hurry," remarked Jack-in-the-box. "Takethings more calmly, and ask the Policeman. Kindly shut up the lid of mybox. I can't very well manage it myself, I'm so springy. Close itfirmly, please, or I shall be jumping out again, and I don't want to dothat. I wish to stay indoors to-day as much as possible, for I have aheavy cold in my head and am sneezing every two minutes."
"_That_ didn't do much good," said the Grocer when he had done as he wasasked, and closed the lid of Jack's box.
"Let us find the Policeman," she said, holding out her hand.
"An excellent idea," he replied as he took it. "There he is, justoutside that dolls' house.
"Constable," he said, "can you direct us to the Well with Truth at thebottom?"
"First to the right, second to the left, and keep on till you come toit," the policeman answered, without removing his eyes from the kitchenwindow.
"Not that I ever heard tell of any such Well," he added, putting hishead inside and speaking to the Little China Doll within.
"Then you're a deceiver," she said severely, as she handed him a jointof beef tightly gummed on to a wooden platter.
"You're sure to arrive at anything if you keep on till you get it," heanswered carelessly. "So it doesn't really matter if you take the firstto the right and the second to the left, or the second to the right andthe first to the left. You are bound to get there in time.... This beefis gummed so tightly to the dish that it is a job to get it off...."
In the meantime the Grocer and the Farthing Doll were wandering abouttrying to find the Well. They sought for a long time, but they could notsee a sign of it.
"We'll never find it," she said in despair. "And I am growing so tired Iam beginning to lose all my good looks. All the crimson is wearing offmy cheeks."
"Come, come, my dear, we won't give up yet," he said. "Consoleyourself; I believe many others have been in the same plight before us."
"I don't mind if they have," she said, tired and impatient.
Now the Grocer was a man of quick intellect. His thoughts were notsolely given to the selling of raisins, currants, flour, rice and othergroceries. As the Farthing Doll spoke, a very clever idea came into hishead.
"Wait!" he said thoughtfully. "Your last remark has given me a new idea.You mentioned the word _mind_! Mind,--mind,--mind. Yes,--now why shouldwe not give up seeking for truth in a Well, and try to find it in ourminds?"
"Have we got them?" she asked doubtfully.
"I think so," he replied.
"Then where are they kept?"
He pondered.
"In our heads, I imagine," he said.
And tapping his forehead to help out his thought he remarked.
"Let us begin. Here is my first question: Do you approve of marriageswith Grocers?"
"Before I answer," said the Farthing Doll cautiously, "I should like tohear if you approve of marriages with Farthing Dolls? Some peopledon't."
"Ladies first. It is your place to reply to me before I reply to you."
"I prefer the last word; you may have the first."
"It is all very well to expect me to answer you, but supposing _I_ said'Yes' and _you_ said 'No,' fancy how my pride would suffer!"
"But supposing I said 'Yes' and you said 'No,' picture to yourself whatmy feelings would be. I should not recover from the blow."
"We have got ourselves into a difficult position," said the Grocer. "Letus start afresh. If I wrote you a letter, how would you answer it?"
"As I thought best," she said. "But tell me how would you write it?"
"As I thought fit," he replied. "What would your 'best' be?"
"That would depend on your 'fit'," she answered.
The Grocer sighed and knit his brows.
"It seems very difficult to come to an understanding with you," he said.
And then they were both silent for a long while. As a matter of fact,this was because they were both so depressed that they could think ofnothing further to say.
The Farthing Doll was the first to break the silence.
"Perhaps," she said sadly, "we had better start looking for that Wellagain. The Policeman told us that if we kept on we should come to it."
"I am not sure that I trust the Policeman," he answered. "It struck methat he wished, unobserved, to enjoy some food from the dolls' housekitchen. He wanted to get rid of us."
"What is to be done then?" she asked.
The Grocer thought for a long while. Then he spoke again.
"I have another idea," he remarked. "Let us look for Truth not in theWell, nor in our Minds, but in our Hearts. Do you agree?"
"Yes, I do," she said. "But how shall we set about it?"
"Let our Hearts speak," he replied.
After this they were silent for a moment or two. Then the Grocer andthe Farthing Doll clasped each other's hands and spoke at the samemoment.
"My Heart's Dearest, I love you," said he. "You are my Best Beloved," said she.
So the matter ended happily, to their own joy and to the joy of thewhole toy-shop.
And these two lovers found Truth at last: not in the bottom of a Well,but in the depths of their own Hearts.
And they married and were happy ever after.
* * * * *
"That was a nice ending," remarked the little girl. "I like it."
"Yes; very satisfactory, wasn't it?" said the little lady.
"How will the next story end, happily or sadly?"
"I haven't thought of it yet. You shall know to-morrow."
"I think I must go now," said the little girl. "I promised my littlecousin to have a game of nine-pins with her before bed-time."
"Wait," said the Marionette. "I have something to tell you. I thinkto-morrow evening will be the last time I shall be able to speak withyou. My power of talking to a Mortal is going; it will not last afterour next meeting."
"Oh, I _am_ sorry!" exclaimed the little girl. "I do not leave till twodays after to-morrow, and I thought that you would be able to go ontelling me stories up to the very last evening."
The little Marionette shook her head.
"It will be impossible," said she.
"And after to-morrow we shall not be able to talk to each other anymore," exclaimed the little girl. "Oh, how sad!"
"Never mind, even if we cannot talk we can remain good friends. Thedeepest friendship is often the quietest."
"Then we can be very great friends indeed," said the little girl withmuch affection. "I am so glad, dear!"
"I am going out to-morrow afternoon to see the pantomime, but I shallcome here as early as I can," she added as she went away. "Don't you belate."
"No, I won't," answered the Marionette.
"Remember!"
"Yes, I'll remember."
"_How_ will you remember?"
"I'll tie a knot in my hair, so that when I brush it I shall feel thatthere is something to recollect."
"That's a good idea," said the little girl
, and ran away in content.
CHAPTER IX
The next evening, as soon as the little girl came in, she went to theirmeeting-place by the Noah's Ark.
But the little Marionette was not to be found.
"This is too bad of her!" said the little girl. "Our last time! Andafter she has promised not to be late!"
Tears rose to her eyes.
"I am very much disappointed," said she as she walked up and down theshop looking for her friend.
"I shall never find her.... Why, _there_ she is!" she exclaimedsuddenly.
And she hurried up to the little Marionette, who, half-concealed by abig Drum, lay on the ground beside a Puzzle.
"You are not very kind," remarked the little girl reproachfully. "Iasked you to be early, and you never came at all."
"I am very sorry," answered the little Marionette in a tired voice.
Then she sat up, and the little girl saw with much sorrow and surprisethat she was quite disfigured. Her nose was broken, her eyes werecrooked, and her face was quite knocked about. All the little girl'sannoyance vanished, and her heart was full of pity.
"Oh, you poor dear little dolly!" she cried; "what _has_ happened toyou?"
"I have hurt myself," was the answer. "I tripped up over this Puzzle."
"I am sorry. Are you very badly hurt?" asked her little friend withpity.
"Never mind me. I promised to tell you one more story, and I shall doso," answered the little Marionette.
She spoke very sadly, and the little girl picked her up and kissed her.
"Would you not like to put off telling me a story to-day?" she asked.
"No. I should like to do so," the Marionette answered, "for it is ourlast meeting. Put me back on the counter and I will tell it to you."
"Shall I put you back where I found you?"
"No, take me back to our old place. I am tired of this Puzzle."
So the little girl took her to the Noah's Ark, and placed her with herback to it.
"What is your story about, dear?" the little girl asked, drawing herchair close to the counter, and bending her head close to the littleMarionette, the better to hear her small voice--weaker and more tinythat evening than usual.
"About a little Marionette like myself, whose best and dearest friendleft her and thought she didn't mind. And all the while she minded sovery much! More than she knew how to say!"
"Poor little Marionette!" said Molly.
"It _was_ sad, for it was only a mistake, wasn't it?" said the littleMarionette lady with a sigh. "But you shall hear all about it. Listenwhilst I tell you the story of: 'The Last Performance.'"
THE LAST PERFORMANCE
The two little Marionette dolls had just finished their dance before anadmiring throng of Toys, and the curtain had, that moment, fallen upontheir last performance.
"So now," sighed the little lady Marionette to her partner; "so now theplay is over. We shall never act together again. I heard the woman whoowned the shop say that she was going to separate us, and sell us asordinary Toys. She said there was so little demand for Marionettesnowadays.... But you heard that as well as I, didn't you?"
"Yes, I heard," he answered. "And more, too. She said she was going tosend me away with some other Toys to a Christmas-tree. So that it willbe good-bye for a long while."
The little lady Marionette patted the paniers of her pretty brocadedress and remained silent.
"You don't mind that, do you?" her partner said. "I thought youwouldn't."
"I do mind," she answered at last.
"Yes; very much I am sure," he said.
"You hurt my feelings," she replied.
"I wouldn't do that for the whole world--not for ten worlds," heanswered.
She smiled.
"Oh, you smile!" he said. "Then you do not mind very much after all."
"I smile because it makes me happy to hear you speak kindly to meagain," she answered.
But her answer did not please him.
"You smile at everything," he said "Nothing troubles you much."
"It troubles me that you should be going away; away from me into thewide world," she said.
"It will trouble you for half an hour, not longer," said he. "Only halfan hour, that's all. I must leave you now."
"Don't," said she. "_Stay._"
"I can't," said he. "Good-bye."
And he went straight away without another word.
"He does not know how dear he is to my heart or he would not leave meso," said the little Marionette to herself after he had left.
Then she threw herself down on the counter and cried as if her heartwere breaking. She threw herself down so violently that she broke hernose and knocked her eyes awry. But she was too miserable to care. Shelay still and cried on.
At last a friend of hers came along--a friend who was a Doll of commonsense and practical ways.
"What is all this about?" she asked. "Why are you crying?"
"Because half an hour may last for so long," wept the little Marionette.
"You are talking nonsense," she replied contemptuously. "Everybody knowsthat half an hour can only last thirty minutes."
"Not always. It may sometimes last a whole year--many years."
"Tut, tut!" replied the common-sense Doll; "you have no reasoning power.That I can see by your face. Still, if I can help you I will. What wouldyou have me do?"
"Give me back my dream," said the Marionette. Then she covered her facewith her hands and gave a great sigh.
The common-sense Doll looked even more practical than before.
"That is it, is it?" she said. "A morbid longing after a Dream. I beginto understand. Nerves,--indigestion,--too many sweet things,--I fear Icannot, then, be of much assistance. However, the General of the TinSoldiers has a wonderful turn for doctoring, quite a natural gift. Iwill send him to you. He may be able to do you some good."
So she went on her way, and the little Marionette was once more alonewith her sorrow and regret.
By and by, however, the General of the Tin Soldiers trotted up on hishandsome black charger, and reined in before her.
"My dear little lady," he said kindly, if pompously, "in what pitifulcondition do I find you? Come, come, tell an old soldier, who has beenthrough much himself, all about it." And, as she did not at once answer:"Well," he continued good-naturedly, "never mind. Do not trouble tospeak, I will prescribe for you. I recognize your complaint, and havealready treated with much success a large number of my Tin Soldierssuffering in the same way. This, then, is my prescription for yourmalady: plenty of fresh air; exercise in moderation; early hours andplain diet. But don't let your diet become monotonous. For example, arice pudding one day, sago the next, tapioca the third. And a littlegentle amusement every now and then to keep up your spirits; ChristyMinstrels; a pleasant, little musical gathering of friends; and so on.Finally, a powerful tonic to put a little more color into those poorlittle cheeks. Kindly permit me to feel your pulse."
And so saying the General bent from his saddle and courteously took thelittle Marionette's hand. Then, looking much alarmed, "_Galloping,galloping!_" he exclaimed, "I must do likewise, and order you a tonic atthe nearest chemist's without delay."
And putting spurs into his horse he rode away hurriedly.
"All that won't do me any good," said the little Marionette aloud. "Idon't want that."
"What do I want?" she sighed.
"A jest, my good creature," said a voice near her, and looking up shesaw the Clown with his hands in his pockets dancing a double-shuffle infront of her.
"A jest," he repeated. Then as he danced and shook the bells on his cap,he chanted in time to the movement of his feet--
"Broken nose and crooked eyes, Broken heart and mournful sighs,-- Life's a jest for a' that."
"No, it isn't; not to me," answered the little Marionette very sadly.
"It will be, by and by," he said cheerfully.
"No; not to me," she repeated.
The Clown looked
at her with sympathy.
"Shall I tell you a good story?" he asked. "Quite one of my best?"
"You are very kind," said the little Marionette. "I think, though, Iwould rather hear it another time, if you do not mind."
"Not at all," answered the Clown as he danced away, jingling his bellsas he went. "_I_ don't mind, I'm not easily hurt. But take my advice, ifthe situation is not a jest in itself make a jest dove-tail into thesituation. Good-bye, my little friend. Cheer up."
"Cheer up!" repeated the little lady. "But it is not easy. I shall haveto wait until the half-hour is over before I can do that."
After this she lay on the counter quietly, without taking notice ofanything or anyone. And the other Toys, seeing she wished to be left toherself, did not disturb her.
By and by, the time when the Toys are able to talk and move about passedby, and they all became still once more: just as you are accustomed tosee them. And people passed in and out, and to and fro, but the littlelady Marionette lay unobserved--alone and unhappy in her corner of thecounter.
"The half-hour is very long," she said. "Will it ever end? My heart isvery heavy...."
The little Marionette made a long pause.
"Go on, if you please," said the little girl.
But the little lady remained silent.
"_Do_ go on," repeated her small friend.
Yet she never answered.
"What is the matter with you?" asked the little girl impatiently.
Adventures in Toyland; What the Marionette Told Molly Page 6