But I was in a hurry, for the idea of coming to that garden, living
there, and learning all about the flowers and fruit, excited me, longing
as I was for some change.
"Yes, yes," he said, "wait, wait;" and he looked at me, and then about
him in the slow meditative manner peculiar to gardeners; "we'll see,
we'll see, wait till you know whether your people are going to do
anything for you."
"But, indeed, sir," I began.
"Yes, yes, I know, boy," he replied; but we must wait. "Perhaps they've
planted a business bulb for you, and we must wait and see whether it is
going to shoot and blossom. You're impatient; you want to pull up the
bulb and see if it has any roots yet."
I looked at him in a disappointed way, and he smiled.
"Come, come," he said; "at your age you can afford to wait a few days,
if it is for your good. There, wait and see, and I'll be plain with
you; if they do not find you something better to do, I'll take you on
here at once, and do the best I can for you, as far as teaching you to
be a gardener goes."
"O, thank you, sir!" I cried.
"Wait a bit," he said quietly, "wait a bit. There I'm going to be very
busy; I've got a cart to load. So now suppose you be off."
I shook hands with him and walked away surprised and pleased, but at the
same time disappointed, and as I neared the end of the big loft I heard
two or three more baskets come rattling down.