ought a salt cellar, and a broom; and
to Matilda's mingled doubt and delight, a rocking-chair. And then they
ordered the things home and went home themselves.

CHAPTER VI.

The arrangements were all made; the room was ready; the cupboard was
stocked with its hardware; even a carpet lay on the floor, for Mrs.
Lloyd having heard from David a laughing declaration of Matilda's
present longing for an old carpet, had immediately given permission to
the children to rummage in the lumber room and take anything they found
that was not too good. Matilda was very much afraid there would be
nothing that did not come under that description; however, a little old
piece of carpet was found that somehow had escaped being thrown away,
and that would be, she judged, a perfect treasure to Mrs. Staples; it
was sent by the hands of a very much astonished footman to Mrs. Leary's
house, and by Mrs. Leary herself put down on the floor; Matilda having
bargained for the cleaning of the floor as a preliminary.

Her imagination dwelt upon that carpet, and the furnished, comfortable
look it gave the room, with as much recurring delight as other people
often find in the thought of their new dresses and jewels. With more,
perhaps. Everything was ready now. Mr. Wharncliffe was engaged to tell
the good news to Sarah and her mother, and the moving was to take place
on Thursday of the next week. All was arranged; and on Monday Matilda
sickened.

What could be the matter? Nobody knew at first; only it was certain
that the little girl was ill. Dull and feverish and miserable, unable
to hold herself up, or to think much about anything when she was laid
in bed. It was needful to send for the doctor; and Mrs. Laval took her
station by Matilda's pillow.

How time went, for some days thereafter, Matilda but dimly knew. She
was conscious now and then of being very sick, heavy and oppressed and
hot; but much of the time was spent in a sort of stupor. Occasionally
she would wake up to see that Mrs. Laval was bending tenderly over her,
offering a spoonful of medicine or a glass of apple water; it was
sometimes night, with the gas burning low, sometimes the dusk of
evening; sometimes the cool grey of the morning seemed to be breaking.
But of the hours between such points Matilda knew nothing; she kept no
count of days; a general feeling of long weariness and dull headaches
filled up all her consciousness; she reasoned about nothing.

So that it was qu