obeyed. When she had done everything she could to make Mother
less uncomfortable, she went down to the others. Her cheeks were very
red, her lips set tight, and her eyes almost as bright as Mother's.

She told them what the Doctor had said, and what Mother had said.

"And now," said she, when she had told all, "there's no one but us to do
anything, and we've got to do it. I've got the shilling for the mutton."

"We can do without the beastly mutton," said Peter; "bread and butter
will support life. People have lived on less on desert islands many a
time."

"Of course," said his sister. And Mrs. Viney was sent to the village to
get as much brandy and soda-water and beef tea as she could buy for a
shilling.

"But even if we never have anything to eat at all," said Phyllis, "you
can't get all those other things with our dinner money."

"No," said Bobbie, frowning, "we must find out some other way. Now
THINK, everybody, just as hard as ever you can."

They did think. And presently they talked. And later, when Bobbie had
gone up to sit with Mother in case she wanted anything, the other two
were very busy with scissors and a white sheet, and a paint brush, and
the pot of Brunswick black that Mrs. Viney used for grates and fenders.
They did not manage to do what they wished, exactly, with the first
sheet, so they took another out of the linen cupboard. It did not occur
to them that they were spoiling good sheets which cost good money. They
only knew that they were making a good--but what they were making comes
later.

Bobbie's bed had been moved into Mother's room, and several times in
the night she got up to mend the fire, and to give her mother milk and
soda-water. Mother talked to herself a good deal, but it did not seem
to mean anything. And once she woke up suddenly and called out: "Mamma,
mamma!" and Bobbie knew she was calling for Granny, and that she had
forgotten that it was no use calling, because Granny was dead.

In the early morning Bobbie heard her name and jumped out of bed and ran
to Mother's bedside.

"Oh--ah, yes--I think I was asleep," said Mother. "My poor little duck,
how tired you'll be--I do hate to give you all this trouble."

"Trouble!" said Bobbie.

"Ah, don't cry, sweet," Mother said; "I shall be all right in a day or
two."

And Bobbie said, "Yes," and tried to smile.

When you are used to ten hours of solid sleep, to get up three or four
times in your sleep-time makes you feel as th