seeing and comparing them had ever occurred before. Then her head
shook with a nervous trembling; she grew agitated; and her tiny hands
caught hold of her mother and the doctor with a convulsive grip.

"Do not go away; I'm so afraid. Take care of me; don't let all the
others come near me. I only want you, only you two, near me. Come
closer up to me, together!" she stammered.

Drawing them nearer, with a violent effort she brought them close to
her, still uttering the same entreaty: "Come close, together,
together!"

Several times did she behave in the same delirious fashion. Then came
intervals of quiet, when a heavy sleep fell on her, but it left her
breathless and almost dead. When she started out of these short dozes
she heard nothing, saw nothing--a white vapor shrouded her eyes. The
doctor remained watching over her for a part of the night, which
proved a very bad one. He only absented himself for a moment to
procure some medicine. Towards morning, when he was about to leave,
Helene, with terrible anxiety in her face accompanied him into the
ante-room.

"Well?" asked she.

"Her condition is very serious," he answered; "but you must not fear;
rely on me; I will give you every assistance. I shall come back at ten
o'clock."

When Helene returned to the bedroom she found Jeanne sitting up in
bed, gazing round her with bewildered looks.

"You left me! you left me!" she wailed. "Oh! I'm afraid; I don't want
to be left all alone."

To console her, her mother kissed her, but she still gazed round the
room:

"Where is he?" she faltered. "Oh! tell him not to go away; I want him
to be here, I want him--"

"He will come back, my darling!" interrupted Helene, whose tears were
mingling with Jeanne's own. "He will not leave us, I promise you. He
loves us too well. Now, be good and lie down. I'll stay here till he
comes back."

"Really? really?" murmured the child, as she slowly fell back into
deep slumber.

Terrible days now began, three weeks full of awful agony. The fever
did not quit its victim for an hour. Jeanne only seemed tranquil when
the doctor was present; she put one of her little hands in his, while
her mother held the other. She seemed to find safety in their
presence; she gave each of them an equal share of her tyrannical
worship, as though she well knew beneath what passionate kindness she
was sheltering herself. Her nervous temperament, so exquisite in its
sensibility, the keener since her illn