a
doctor?'

Mrs Blossom had her bonnet and cloak on, and looked very pale and
flurried. When she answered Meg she kept her hand pressed against her
heart.

'I'm just a-going to one,' she said, 'the best at this end o' London,
Dr Christie, and you'd better come along with me. He knows me well.
Meg, I've seen somebody go by to-day as was like Posy, only pale and
thin; but when I ran out, she was gone like a shadow. I'm a-going to
tell Dr Christie; he knows all about Posy and me.'

But Meg scarcely heard what Mrs Blossom said. All her thoughts and
interest centred in Robin, and she felt impatient of the slow progress
of her companion. They seemed to her to be going a long, long way,
until they came to better streets and larger houses; and by-and-by they
saw a carriage standing before a door, and a gentleman came out and got
into it hurriedly.

'Why, bless me!' exclaimed Mrs Blossom, 'there's Dr Christie. Stop
him, Meg, stop him!'

Meg needed no urging, but rushed blindly across the street. There was
all at once a strange confusion about her, a trampling of horses' feet,
and a rattling of wheels, with a sudden terror and pain in herself; and
then she knew no more. All was as nothing to her--baby and Robin alone
in the attic, and Mrs Blossom and Posy--all were gone out of her mind
and memory. She had thrown herself before the horses' heads, and they
had trampled her down under their feet.

When little Meg came to herself again it was broad daylight, and she
was lying in a room so bright and cheerful that she could neither
imagine where she was nor how she came there. There was a good fire
crackling noisily in the low grate, with a brass guard before it, and
over the chimney-piece was a pretty picture of angels flying upwards
with a child in their arms. All round the walls there hung other
pictures of birds and flowers, coloured gaily, and glittering in gilded
frames. Another little bed like the one she lay in stood in the
opposite corner, but there was nobody in it, and the place was very
quiet. She lay quite still, with a dreamy thought that she was somehow
in heaven, until she heard a pleasant voice speaking in the next room,
the door of which was open, so that the words came readily to her ears.

'I only wish we knew where the poor little thing comes from,' said the
voice.

'I'm vexed I don't,' answered Mrs Blossom. 'I've asked her more than
once, and she's always said it's down a street off Rose