_that_ she wants. She is nigh starved to death."

"Have you any wine?"

"Well, no, miss; but there's a tavern round the corner where you can get
very good port from the wood. I'll send the girl for a pint."

"Pray do, and quickly, and some biscuits or something; here is some
money. What is her name?"

"Trant--Miss Trant," returned Mrs. Dodd, knowing who her interrogator
meant. "Leastways we always called her miss, for she is quite the lady."

Katherine hurried back, and found Miss Trant lying back in her chair
greatly exhausted. With instinctive tact Katherine assumed an air of
authority, and insisted on her patient eating some biscuits soaked in
wine.

Presently Miss Trant sat up, and, as if with an effort raised her eyes
to Katherine's. "I am not worth so much trouble," she said. "You deserve
that I should obey you. It is all I can do to show gratitude. If, then,
you will be content with very slow work, I will thankfully do what you
wish; but I must have time."

"So you shall," cried Katherine, delightedly. "You shall have plenty of
time to make me a dress; that will be more amusing than plain work. I
will bring you the material to-morrow, and if you fit me well, you know,
it may lead to a great business;" and she smiled pleasantly.

"What is your name?" asked the patient, feebly. Katherine told her. "You
are so good, you make me resigned to live."

"Do you care to read?"

"I used to love it; but I have no books, nor could I attend to the sense
of a page if I had."

"If you sit here without book or work, I do not wonder at your being
half dead."

"Not nearly half dead yet; dying by inches is a terribly long process. I
am dreadfully strong."

"I will not listen to you if you talk like that. Well, I will bring you
some books--indeed, I will send you some at once if you will promise to
read and divert your thoughts. To-morrow afternoon I will come, you
shall take my measure (I like to be made to look nice), and you shall
begin again."

"Begin again! Me! That would be a miracle."

"Now try and get a little sleep," said Katherine, "your eyes look so
weary. You want to stop thinking, and only sleep can still thought. When
you wake you shall find some of the new magazines, and you must try and
attend to them."

"I will, for your sake."

"Good-by, then, till to-morrow;" and having pressed her hand kindly,
Katherine departed.

It was quite a triumph for Katherine to report her success to Bertie
that ev