y. Let us play a nice game now and let us enjoy ourselves
while he is with us."

Uncle Philip soon started the game, and their merry mood returned with
the fun.

At the exact time when their mother always called the little ones for bed
Lippo cried, "Uncle Philip, we must sing the evening song now and after
that Maezli and I must go to bed."

This did not suit Maezli at all, however, for she was full of the game
just then. Salo, who was sitting beside her, had been so funny, that it
suited her better to stay here than to go to bed, Quickly climbing up the
uncle's chair from behind, she put both round arms caressingly about his
neck and whispered in his ear, "Oh, darling Uncle Philip, to-day is a
feast-day, isn't it? Can't we stay up a little longer? The game is such
fun and it's so tiresome to go to bed."

"Yes, yes, it is a feast-day," the uncle assented; "the little ones can
stay up a little longer. Let us all keep on playing."

Maezli joyfully skipped back to her place, and the merriment was resumed.
The game, which was very amusing, was made more so by Uncle Philip's
funny remarks. Nobody had noticed therefore how quiet Maezli had grown.

Salo suddenly remarked, "Oh, look! Maezli is sound asleep. She is nearly
tumbling from her chair." And the little girl would have dropped had not
Salo held her by quickly putting his arm about her.

Uncle Philip went to her.

"Come, Maezli, come," he said encouragingly, "open your eyes quickly and
Mea will take you to bed."

"No, no," Maezli lamented, and would not move.

"But you must! Just look, we are all going," the uncle said vigorously.
"Do you want to stay behind?"

"No, no, no," Maezli moaned, full of misery.

"Mea, give her some cake," the uncle ordered, "then she'll wake up."

"We have no cake, uncle," Mea replied.

"What, you don't have a thing so necessary as that in a house full of
children! Well, I shall get some to-morrow," he said, quite agitated.
"Do you want a candy, Maezli? Come, just taste how sweet it is."

"No, no, no," Maezli moaned again in such sorrowful tones as no one had
ever heard from the energetic little child.

Suddenly a most disturbing thought shot through the uncle's brain:
"Suppose the child has already caught the fever? What should I do? What
ought one to do?" he cried out with growing anxiety.

Kathy had entered the room in the meantime to see if anything more was
needed.

"That is the way, Mr. Falcon," she said, going up t