"You will be her death if you stay here."

In an instant Henri vanished into the window-recess, concealed by the
blue velvet curtain; but it was in vain, the child still kept up her
pitiful cry: "Oh, mamma! mamma! I suffer so much."

"I am here beside you, my darling; where do you feel the pain?"

"I don't know. Oh, see, it is here! Oh, it is scorching me!" With eyes
wide open and features distorted, she pressed her little hands to her
bosom. "It came on me in a moment. I was asleep, wasn't I? But I felt
something like a burning coal."

"But it's all gone now. You're not pained any longer, are you?"

"Yes, yes, I feel it still."

She glanced uneasily round the room. She was now wholly awake; the
sullen gloom crept over her face once more, and her cheeks became
livid.

"Are you by yourself, mamma?" she asked.

"Of course I am, my darling!"

Nevertheless Jeanne shook her head and gazed about, sniffing the air,
while her agitation visibly increased. "No, you're not; I know you're
not. There's some one--Oh, mamma! I'm afraid, I'm afraid! You are
telling me a story; you are not by yourself."

She fell back in bed in an hysterical fit, sobbing loudly and huddling
herself beneath the coverlet, as though to ward off some danger.
Helene, crazy with alarm, dismissed Henri without delay, despite his
wish to remain and look after the child. But she drove him out
forcibly, and on her return clasped Jeanne in her arms, while the
little one gave vent to the one pitiful cry, with every utterance of
which her sobbing was renewed louder than ever: "You don't love me any
more! You don't love me any more!"

"Hush, hush, my angel! don't say that," exclaimed the mother in agony.
"You are all the world to me. You'll see yet whether I love you or
not."

She nursed her until the morning broke, intent on yielding up to her
all her heart's affections, though she was appalled at realizing how
completely the love of herself possessed this darling child. Next day
she deemed a consultation necessary. Doctor Bodin, dropping in as
though by chance, subjected the patient with many jokes to a careful
examination; and a lengthy discussion ensued between him and Doctor
Deberle, who had remained in the adjacent room. Both readily agreed
that there were no serious symptoms apparent at the moment, but they
were afraid of complex developments, and cross-questioned Helene for
some time. They realized that they were dealing with one of those
ner