she said. "Don't you get
fussing with your silly ways; the child's all right."

"He's not, Mother. I am sure he ought to have medicine of some sort."

"There, there, don't be silly," said the woman. "I am going out for a
day's charing, and have no time to be bothered. Look after Dan and do
your duty. I expect he took a chill yesterday when you took him to
Battersea Park; so now you must stay at home and nurse him back to
health."

Poor little Netty smiled rather faintly.

"You're looking dead-beat yourself," said the woman. "I can't make out
what's come to all of you. There's Ben hadn't any appetite for his good
plain breakfast. Now, you go and look after baby; I'm glad it's
Saturday: you needn't be at school."

The day was hot, even hotter than the previous one. Mrs. Floss started
off on her charing expedition, and Netty sat on the doorstep with the
sick baby. Dan grew worse each moment. He could scarcely open his
languid eyes, his little face was deadly pale, and at times a shudder
ran through his frame.

Mrs. Court came and looked at him ominously. "You'd better have left him
with me," she said. "He's eaten something that has disagreed with him,
and now he'll have convulsions and die."

"Oh! don't say such cruel things," cried poor Netty.

Mrs. Court hobbled back to her room, and Netty sat on with an awestruck
look on her face. Presently she stooped down and kissed the baby on his
brow. He was stirring restlessly. Netty felt that she loved him better
even than Ben, better than anything else in the world.

"Don't you go, and die, baby," she said, in a low whisper. And now the
baby, just as if he heard the words and understood them, opened his
sweet blue eyes, and looked her full in the face, and then he gave a
faint smile and shut his eyes again, and she heard him breathing
quickly, and the next moment a spasm crossed his little face.

Netty could stand it no longer.

"I must take him to someone; but I haven't a penny in the world. Oh!
what shall I do? I know: I'll go to Mrs. Holmes, that kind lady; she'll
tell me what to do for Dan. She may punish me, she may do what she
likes, for I'll tell her the whole gospel truth, if only she'll save
Dan."

Netty staggered to her feet; there was resolution on her little face.

Mrs. Holmes had taken a fancy to the child who loved the baby so well,
and on parting the night before she had said to her:

"I have just moved into a new house, Susy Minchin, and as perha