I cannot pretend
to account for it. I leave that for each philosophical reader to
do after his own fashion. The easiest way is that of Nanny and
Jim, who said often to each other that Diamond had a tile loose.
But Mr. Raymond was much of my opinion concerning the boy; while
Mrs. Raymond confessed that she often rang her bell just to have
once more the pleasure of seeing the lovely stillness of the
boy's face, with those blue eyes which seemed rather made for
other people to look into than for himself to look out of.
It was plainer to others than to himself that he felt the
desertion of Nanny and Jim. They appeared to regard him as a
mere toy, except when they found he could minister to the
increase of their privileges or indulgences, when they made no
scruple of using him -- generally with success. They were,
however, well-behaved to a wonderful degree; while I have little
doubt that much of their good behaviour was owing to the
unconscious influence of the boy they called God's baby.
One very strange thing is that I could never find out where
he got some of his many songs. At times they would be but
bubbles blown out of a nursery rhyme, as was the following,
which I heard him sing one evening to his little Dulcimer.
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