ime of spreading the
straw on the bedstead, the old woman remonstrated against anything being
done to her daughter, beyond laying her where she was before, and giving
her a little warm spirits; but when she discovered that the charmed
water had been thrown out into the ditch, all to her seemed over. Her
last hope was gone; and she sat down in sulky silence, eyeing Margaret's
proceedings without any offer to help.

When the warm water arrived, and the sick woman seemed to like the
sponging and drying of her fevered limbs, the mother began to relent,
and at last approached to give her assistance, holding her poor daughter
in her arms while Margaret spread the blanket and sheet on the straw,
and then lifting the patient into the now clean bed. She was still
unwilling to waste any time and trouble on the child in the corner; but
Margaret was peremptory. She saw that he was dying; but not the less
for this must he be made as comfortable as circumstances would permit.
In half an hour he, too, was laid on his bed of clean straw; and the
filthy rags with which he had been surrounded were deposited out of
doors till some one who would wash them could come for them. By a
promise of fire and food, Margaret bribed the old woman to let things
remain as they were while she went for her brother, whose skill and care
she hoped might now have some chance of saving his patients. She
recommended that Platt himself should not attempt to sit up any longer,
and engaged to return in half an hour.

She paused on the threshold a minute, to see how far Platt was able to
walk; so great seemed to be the difficulty with which he raised himself
from his chair, with the old woman's assistance. Once he stumbled, and
would have fallen, if Margaret had not sprung to his side. On
recovering himself; he wrenched his arm from her, and pushed her
backwards with more force than she had supposed he possessed. There was
a half-smile on the old woman's face as he did this, which made Margaret
shudder; but she was more troubled by a look from the man, which she
caught from beneath the handkerchief that bound his head; a look which
she could not but fancy she had met before with the same feeling of
uneasiness.

When she had seen him safely seated on the bedside, she hastened away
for her brother. They lost no more time in returning than just to step
to Widow Rye's, to ask whether she would sit up with this miserable
family this night. The widow would