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<h2> CHAPTER XXVI. DIAMOND TAKES A FARE THE WRONG WAY RIGHT </h2>
<p>THE next morning Diamond was up almost as early as before. He had nothing
to fear from his mother now, and made no secret of what he was about. By
the time he reached the stable, several of the men were there. They asked
him a good many questions as to his luck the day before, and he told them
all they wanted to know. But when he proceeded to harness the old horse,
they pushed him aside with rough kindness, called him a baby, and began to
do it all for him. So Diamond ran in and had another mouthful of tea and
bread and butter; and although he had never been so tired as he was the
night before, he started quite fresh this morning. It was a cloudy day,
and the wind blew hard from the north—so hard sometimes that,
perched on the box with just his toes touching the ground, Diamond wished
that he had some kind of strap to fasten himself down with lest he should
be blown away. But he did not really mind it.</p>
<p>His head was full of the dream he had dreamed; but it did not make him
neglect his work, for his work was not to dig stars but to drive old
Diamond and pick up fares. There are not many people who can think about
beautiful things and do common work at the same time. But then there are
not many people who have been to the back of the north wind.</p>
<p>There was not much business doing. And Diamond felt rather cold,
notwithstanding his mother had herself put on his comforter and helped him
with his greatcoat. But he was too well aware of his dignity to get inside
his cab as some do. A cabman ought to be above minding the weather—at
least so Diamond thought. At length he was called to a neighbouring house,
where a young woman with a heavy box had to be taken to Wapping for a
coast-steamer.</p>
<p>He did not find it at all pleasant, so far east and so near the river; for
the roughs were in great force. However, there being no block, not even in
Nightingale Lane, he reached the entrance of the wharf, and set down his
passenger without annoyance. But as he turned to go back, some idlers, not
content with chaffing him, showed a mind to the fare the young woman had
given him. They were just pulling him off the box, and Diamond was
shouting for the police, when a pale-faced man, in very shabby clothes,
but with the look of a gentleman somewhere about him, came up, and making
good use of his stick, drove them off.</p>
<p>“Now, my little man,” he said, “get on while you can. Don't lose any time.
This is not a place for you.”</p>
<p>But Diamond was not in the habit of thinking only of himself. He saw that
his new friend looked weary, if not ill, and very poor.</p>
<p>“Won't you jump in, sir?” he said. “I will take you wherever you like.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, my man; but I have no money; so I can't.”</p>
<p>“Oh! I don't want any money. I shall be much happier if you will get in.
You have saved me all I had. I owe you a lift, sir.”</p>
<p>“Which way are you going?”</p>
<p>“To Charing Cross; but I don't mind where I go.”</p>
<p>“Well, I am very tired. If you will take me to Charing Cross, I shall be
greatly obliged to you. I have walked from Gravesend, and had hardly a
penny left to get through the tunnel.”</p>
<p>So saying, he opened the door and got in, and Diamond drove away.</p>
<p>But as he drove, he could not help fancying he had seen the gentleman—for
Diamond knew he was a gentleman—before. Do all he could, however, he
could not recall where or when. Meantime his fare, if we may call him
such, seeing he was to pay nothing, whom the relief of being carried had
made less and less inclined to carry himself, had been turning over things
in his mind, and, as they passed the Mint, called to Diamond, who stopped
the horse, got down and went to the window.</p>
<p>“If you didn't mind taking me to Chiswick, I should be able to pay you
when we got there. It's a long way, but you shall have the whole fare from
the Docks—and something over.”</p>
<p>“Very well, sir” said Diamond. “I shall be most happy.”</p>
<p>He was just clambering up again, when the gentleman put his head out of
the window and said—</p>
<p>“It's The Wilderness—Mr. Coleman's place; but I'll direct you when
we come into the neighbourhood.”</p>
<p>It flashed upon Diamond who he was. But he got upon his box to arrange his
thoughts before making any reply.</p>
<p>The gentleman was Mr. Evans, to whom Miss Coleman was to have been
married, and Diamond had seen him several times with her in the garden. I
have said that he had not behaved very well to Miss Coleman. He had put
off their marriage more than once in a cowardly fashion, merely because he
was ashamed to marry upon a small income, and live in a humble way. When a
man thinks of what people will say in such a case, he may love, but his
love is but a poor affair. Mr. Coleman took him into the firm as a junior
partner, and it was in a measure through his influence that he entered
upon those speculations which ruined him. So his love had not been a
blessing. The ship which North Wind had sunk was their last venture, and
Mr. Evans had gone out with it in the hope of turning its cargo to the
best advantage. He was one of the single boat-load which managed to reach
a desert island, and he had gone through a great many hardships and
sufferings since then. But he was not past being taught, and his troubles
had done him no end of good, for they had made him doubt himself, and
begin to think, so that he had come to see that he had been foolish as
well as wicked. For, if he had had Miss Coleman with him in the desert
island, to build her a hut, and hunt for her food, and make clothes for
her, he would have thought himself the most fortunate of men; and when he
was at home, he would not marry till he could afford a man-servant. Before
he got home again, he had even begun to understand that no man can make
haste to be rich without going against the will of God, in which case it
is the one frightful thing to be successful. So he had come back a more
humble man, and longing to ask Miss Coleman to forgive him. But he had no
idea what ruin had fallen upon them, for he had never made himself
thoroughly acquainted with the firm's affairs. Few speculative people do
know their own affairs. Hence he never doubted he should find matters much
as he left them, and expected to see them all at The Wilderness as before.
But if he had not fallen in with Diamond, he would not have thought of
going there first.</p>
<p>What was Diamond to do? He had heard his father and mother drop some
remarks concerning Mr. Evans which made him doubtful of him. He understood
that he had not been so considerate as he might have been. So he went
rather slowly till he should make up his mind. It was, of course, of no
use to drive Mr. Evans to Chiswick. But if he should tell him what had
befallen them, and where they lived now, he might put off going to see
them, and he was certain that Miss Coleman, at least, must want very much
to see Mr. Evans. He was pretty sure also that the best thing in any case
was to bring them together, and let them set matters right for themselves.</p>
<p>The moment he came to this conclusion, he changed his course from westward
to northward, and went straight for Mr. Coleman's poor little house in
Hoxton. Mr. Evans was too tired and too much occupied with his thoughts to
take the least notice of the streets they passed through, and had no
suspicion, therefore, of the change of direction.</p>
<p>By this time the wind had increased almost to a hurricane, and as they had
often to head it, it was no joke for either of the Diamonds. The distance,
however, was not great. Before they reached the street where Mr. Coleman
lived it blew so tremendously, that when Miss Coleman, who was going out a
little way, opened the door, it dashed against the wall with such a bang,
that she was afraid to venture, and went in again. In five minutes after,
Diamond drew up at the door. As soon as he had entered the street,
however, the wind blew right behind them, and when he pulled up, old
Diamond had so much ado to stop the cab against it, that the breeching
broke. Young Diamond jumped off his box, knocked loudly at the door, then
turned to the cab and said—before Mr. Evans had quite begun to think
something must be amiss:</p>
<p>“Please, sir, my harness has given away. Would you mind stepping in here
for a few minutes? They're friends of mine. I'll take you where you like
after I've got it mended. I shan't be many minutes, but you can't stand in
this wind.”</p>
<p>Half stupid with fatigue and want of food, Mr. Evans yielded to the boy's
suggestion, and walked in at the door which the maid held with difficulty
against the wind. She took Mr. Evans for a visitor, as indeed he was, and
showed him into the room on the ground-floor. Diamond, who had followed
into the hall, whispered to her as she closed the door—</p>
<p>“Tell Miss Coleman. It's Miss Coleman he wants to see.”</p>
<p>“I don't know” said the maid. “He don't look much like a gentleman.”</p>
<p>“He is, though; and I know him, and so does Miss Coleman.”</p>
<p>The maid could not but remember Diamond, having seen him when he and his
father brought the ladies home. So she believed him, and went to do what
he told her.</p>
<p>What passed in the little parlour when Miss Coleman came down does not
belong to my story, which is all about Diamond. If he had known that Miss
Coleman thought Mr. Evans was dead, perhaps he would have managed
differently. There was a cry and a running to and fro in the house, and
then all was quiet again.</p>
<p>Almost as soon as Mr. Evans went in, the wind began to cease, and was now
still. Diamond found that by making the breeching just a little tighter
than was quite comfortable for the old horse he could do very well for the
present; and, thinking it better to let him have his bag in this quiet
place, he sat on the box till the old horse should have eaten his dinner.
In a little while Mr. Evans came out, and asked him to come in. Diamond
obeyed, and to his delight Miss Coleman put her arms round him and kissed
him, and there was payment for him! Not to mention the five precious
shillings she gave him, which he could not refuse because his mother
wanted them so much at home for his father. He left them nearly as happy
as they were themselves.</p>
<p>The rest of the day he did better, and, although he had not so much to
take home as the day before, yet on the whole the result was satisfactory.
And what a story he had to tell his father and mother about his
adventures, and how he had done, and what was the result! They asked him
such a multitude of questions! some of which he could answer, and some of
which he could not answer; and his father seemed ever so much better from
finding that his boy was already not only useful to his family but useful
to other people, and quite taking his place as a man who judged what was
wise, and did work worth doing.</p>
<p>For a fortnight Diamond went on driving his cab, and keeping his family.
He had begun to be known about some parts of London, and people would
prefer taking his cab because they liked what they heard of him. One
gentleman who lived near the mews engaged him to carry him to the City
every morning at a certain hour; and Diamond was punctual as clockwork—though
to effect that required a good deal of care, for his father's watch was
not much to be depended on, and had to be watched itself by the clock of
St. George's church. Between the two, however, he did make a success of
it.</p>
<p>After that fortnight, his father was able to go out again. Then Diamond
went to make inquiries about Nanny, and this led to something else.</p>
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