, Miss Olive," and
Deb sniffed defiantly. "There, you may go in while I warm her milk,
but she will not take any notice of you. She is too weak to speak."

The folding-doors were open, and the little sitting-room, with its
cheery fire, had a cosy aspect, the sick-room was dimly lighted. As
Olivia bent over the invalid her heart contracted with anguish. Could
only four days have wrought such deadly havoc?

Aunt Madge's face looked pinched and sunken, and so changed that Olivia
could hardly recognise it, but, as she hung over her in speechless
grief, the heavy eyelids unclosed, and something like a smile passed
over the features. "My little Livy" was all she whispered, but it was
the old caressing tone.

When Dr. Randolph paid his last visit Olivia begged him to use his
influence with Deborah. "She has been up three nights and is utterly
worn out," she went on. "I want her to let me watch while she has a
good sleep on that couch. I would promise to wake her if I saw the
least change. Indeed, I know something of nursing, Dr. Randolph. I
was with my dear mother when she died, and I will carry out all your
instructions."

"Well, you heard what I said to Mrs. Higgins," returned Dr. Randolph,
"that everything depends on frequent nourishment. The fever is down,
but there is a state of collapse that makes me uneasy. Mrs. Broderick
has a good constitution or she would not have got through her last
illness, so I still hope we may pull her through;" but Dr. Randolph's
voice was not sanguine as he said this. "Now I will go and have a talk
with Mrs. Higgins. I shall tell her that unless she does as she is
told to-night I shall bring round a nurse with me to-morrow. I think
that will fetch her," and Dr. Randolph was right. Possibly Deb felt
herself on the verge of breaking down, for she consented at last to lie
down on her mistress's couch for an hour or two, but it was midnight
before Olivia found herself in sole charge.

There was very little to be done except to give medicine and
nourishment at stated intervals and to make up the two fires as
noiselessly as possible, but Olivia felt her responsibilities too
acutely to be overcome by drowsiness, though Deborah lay hour after
hour in the heavy sleep of utter exhaustion.

Olivia's thoughts went back to her childhood as she sat there. A
hundred instances of Aunt Madge's affection and devotion recurred to
her. She remembered how the sprightly young aunt used to