"Let us be friends always, Miss Meg," he said, as they parted at
the Misrule gate.
"Yes, let us," said Meg.
And the firm, frank friendship became a beautiful thing in both their
lives, strengthening Meg and making the boy gentler.
Pip became his laughing, high-spirited self again, as even the most
loving boy will, thanks to the merciful making of young hearts; but
he used to get sudden fits of depression at times, and disappear all
at once, in the midst of a game of cricket or football, or from
the table when the noise was at its highest.
Bunty presented to the world just as grimy a face as of old, and
hands even more grubby, for he had taken a mechanical turn of late,
and spent his spare moments in manufacturing printing machines--so
called--and fearful and wonderful engines, out of an old stove and
some pots and rusty frying-pans rescued from the rubbish heap.
But he did not tell quite so many stories in these days; that deep
sunset had stolen even into his young heart, and whenever he felt
inclined to say "I never, 'twasn't me, 'twasn't my fault," a tangle
of dark curls rose before him, just as they had lain that night when
he had not dared to move his eyes away from them.
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