hen stretching herself beside
it, with her face hidden from the light, little Meg gave herself up to
a passion of sorrow.

'If I'd only asked God, for Christ's sake,' she cried to herself,
'maybe He'd have let baby wake, though I don't know whether it's a good
thing. But now she's gone to mother, and father'll come home, and
he'll find nobody but me and Robbie, and the money safe. Oh! I wish
I'd asked God.'

'Meg,' said Robin, after she had worn herself out with sobs and tears,
and was lying silently beside baby, 'I'm very poorly. I think I'll go
to live with the angels, where mother and baby are gone.'

Meg started up, and gazed anxiously at Robin. His bright eyes were
dimmed, and his face was flushed and heavy; he was stretched on the
floor near the fire, in a listless attitude, and did not care to move,
when she knelt down beside him, and put her arm under his head. It
ached, he said; and it felt burning hot to her touch. Meg's heart
stood still for a moment, and then she dropped her tear-stained
sorrowful face upon her hands.

'Pray God,' she cried, 'don't take Robbie away as well as baby. Maybe
it wasn't a good thing for baby to stay, now mother's dead, though I've
done everythink I could, and there's been nobody to take care of us but
You. But, pray God, do let Robbie stay with me till father comes home;
for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.'

Meg rose from her knees, and lifted up Robin as gently as she could,
soothing him, and talking fondly to him as she took off his clothes.
When that was finished she laid him on the same bed where the baby was
sleeping its last long sleep, with its tiny face still wearing an
unspeakable calm; for Robin's little mattress had been sold some time
ago. The day was just at an end, that sorrowful day, and a lingering
light from the west entered through the attic window, and lit up the
white, peaceful features with the flushed and drowsy face of Robin
beside it. Meg felt as if her heart would surely break as she stooped
over them, and kissed them both, her lips growing cold as they touched
baby's smiling mouth. Then drawing her old shawl over her head, she
locked the attic door securely behind her, and ran as fast as her feet
could carry her to Mrs Blossom's house.

'Robbie's very ill,' gasped Meg, breathlessly, as she burst into the
shop, the shutters of which were already put up, though it was still
early in the night, 'and I want a doctor for him. Where shall I find