head upon them to rest a little before going
out to get the tea ready. The next thing I knew was that Mrs M'Swat was
shaking me vigorously with one hand, holding a flaring candle in the
other, and saying:

"Lizer, shut the winder quick. She's been lyin' here in the draught till
she's froze, and must have the nightmare, the way she's been singin' out
that queer, an' I can't git her woke up. What ails ye, child? Are ye
sick?"

I did not know what ailed me, but learnt subsequently that I laughed and
cried very much, and pleaded hard with grannie and some Harold to save
me, and kept reiterating, "I cannot bear it, I cannot bear it," and
altogether behaved so strangely that Mr M'Swat became so alarmed that he
sent seventeen miles for the nearest doctor. He came next morning, felt
my pulse, asked a few questions, and stated that I was suffering from
nervous prostration.

"Why, the child is completely run down, and in a fair way to contract
brain fever!" he exclaimed. "What has she been doing? It seems as though
she had been under some great mental strain. She must have complete rest
and change, plenty of diversion and nourishing food, or her mind will
become impaired."

He left me a bottle of tonic and Mr and Mrs M'Swat many fears. Poor
kind-hearted souls, they got in a great state, and understood about as
much of the cause of my breakdown as I do of the inside of the moon. They
ascribed it to the paltry amount of teaching and work I had done.

Mrs M'Swat killed a fowl and stewed it for my delectation. There was part
of the inside with many feathers to flavour the dish, and having no
appetite, I did not enjoy it, but made a feint of so doing to please the
good-natured cook.

They intended writing at once to give my parents notice when I would be
put on the train. I was pronounced too ill to act as scribe; Lizer was
suggested, and then Jimmy, but M'Swat settled the matter thus:

"Sure, damn it! I'm the proper one to write on an important business
matther like this here."

So pens, ink, and paper were laid on the dining-room table, and the great
proclamation went forth among the youngsters, "Pa is goin' to write a
whole letter all by hisself."

My door opened with the dining-room, and from my bed I could see the
proceeding. Mr M'Swat hitched his trousers well through the saddle-strap
which he always wore as a belt, took off his coat and folded it on the
back of a chair, rolled his shirt-sleeves up to his elbows, pul