ow long have these folks been ill?"

"Ever since they came ashore almost. They came straight up here, and
began to be ill immediately. That was a few days ago; not a week."

"Beef tea!" said Miss Redwood again. "And just come to shore. How do
they look? Did you see them?"

"Yes, I saw them," said Norton. "I went with Matilda when she took the
beef tea to them. How did they look? I can't tell; they looked bad. The
men were mahogany colour, and one of the women was out of her head, I
think."

"And you two children going to see them!" exclaimed Miss Redwood, in a
tone that savoured of strong disapprobation, not to say dismay.

"Because there was no one else," said Norton. "Mamma has gone to New
York to get more people; for all ours went off when they knew of the
sickness at the farmhouse."

"Why?" said Miss Redwood, sharply.

"I don't know. I suppose they were jealous of these strangers."

"H'm," said Miss Redwood, beginning now to take her bread out of the
oven with a very hurried hand; "there's jealousy enough in the world,
no doubt, and unreason enough; but it don't usually come like an
epidemic neither. You go home, and tell Matilda I'm a comin' as fast as
ever I kin get my chores done and my hood and shawl on. And you tell
her--will she do what you tell her?"

"I don't know," said Norton. "What is it?"

"_Where_ is it these folks are ill? Not to your house?"

"Oh no. Down at the farmhouse--you know our farmhouse--under the bank."

"Did you leave the child there?"

"She was there when I came away."

"Well, you run home as fast as your legs can carry you, and fetch her
out of that. Bring her home, and don't you nor she go down there again.
Maybe it's no harm, but it's safe to do as I tell you. Now go, and I'll
come. Don't let the grass grow under your feet."

Norton was not used to be ordered about quite so decidedly; it struck
him as an amusing variety in his life. However he divined that Miss
Redwood might have some deep reason for being so energetic, and he was
not slow in getting back to Briery Bank; so his mother's place was
called. The house was shut up, as he and Matilda had left it, and he
went on down to the home of the sick people. There he found Matilda as
he had left her. Norton only put his head into the sick-room and called
her out.

"Miss Redwood is coming," he said.

"I'm so glad! I knew she would," said Matilda. "She will know what to
do. They all seem stupid, Norton, except the wom