Page:Burnett - Two Little Pilgrims' Progress A Story of the City Beautiful.djvu/117

Rh what it said, Rob, 'Here also all the noise of them that walked in the streets was, "More pilgrims have come to town."' Oh, isn't it like it!"

It was. And the exaltation and thrill of it got into their young blood and made them feel as if they walked on air, and that every passing human thing meant somehow life and strength to them.

Their appetites were sharpened by the morning air, and they consulted as to what their breakfast should be. They had no money to spend at restaurants, and every penny must be weighed and calculated.

"Let's walk on," said Meg, "until we see a bakery that looks as if it was kept by poor people. Then we can buy some bread and eat it with our eggs somewhere."

"All right," said Robin.

They marched boldly on. The crowd jostled them, and there was so much noise that they could hardly hear each other speak; but oh, how the sun shone, and how the pennons fluttered and streamed on every side, and how excited and full of living the people's faces looked! It seemed splendid only to be alive in such a world on such a morning. The sense of the practical which had suggested that they should go to a small place led them into the side streets. They passed all the big shops without a glance, but at last Meg stopped before a small one.