and all the grownup persons had died almost together,
save the mother, and had been taken away the night before last.

What had happened since was dim and confused to the children. Their
mother had seemed like one stunned--had hardly noticed them, or
attended to their wants. Then two of them had been taken away into
the other room. They had heard their mother weeping aloud for a
while, but she would not let them in to her. By and by she had come
back to them, and had taken the baby in her arms and lain down upon
the bed. She had never moved after that--not even when little Harry
had called to her, and had lain crying and moaning on the floor.
The children thought she was asleep, and by and by Harry had gone
to sleep too. They had slept together on the floor, huddled
together in helpless misery and confusion of mind, until awakened
by the ceaseless wailing of the baby, which never roused their
mother. They were too much bewildered and weakened to make any
attempt to call for help, and were just waiting for what would
happen, when Gertrude had come amongst them like an angel of mercy.

Her tears fell fast as the story was told, but the children had
shed all theirs. They were comforted now, feeling as though
something good had happened, and they crept about her and clung
round her, begging her not to leave them.

Nor had she any wish to do so. It seemed to her as though this must
surely be her place for the present--amongst these helpless little
ones to whom Providence had sent her in the hour of their extreme
necessity.

The baby was sleeping in her arms. She looked down into its tiny
face, and wondered if it would be possible that its life could be
saved. For a whole night it had lain at its dead mother's side.
Could it have escaped the contagion? The three older children
appeared well, and even grew merry as the hours wore slowly away.

From time to time Gertrude looked out into the street, but there
was nothing to be seen save the men on guard; and only from time to
time was the silence broken by the cry of some delirious patient,
or a shriek for mercy from some half-demented woman driven frantic
by the terrors by which she was surrounded.

When afternoon came, she prepared more food for the children, and
partook of it with them, and wondered how and where she should
spend the night. The infant in her arms had grown strangely still
and quiet. It could not be roused, and breathed slowly and heavily.

"Harry lo