her hat and flew downstairs. In a moment she was inthe waggonette, and the driver was speedily urging his horses in thedirection of the small town of Sefton, two miles and a half away.Hester was terrified now--so terrified, in such an agony, that she evenforgot Annie; her hatred toward Annie became of secondary importance toher. All her ideas, all her thoughts, were swallowed up in the onegreat hope--Should she be in time to reach Dr Mayflower's house beforehe set off on his afternoon rounds? As the waggonette approached Seftonshe buried her face in her hands and uttered a sharp inward cry ofagony.
"Please God, let me find the doctor!" It was a real prayer from herheart of hearts. The waggonette drew up at the doctor's residence, todiscover him stepping into his brougham. Hester was a shy child, andhad never seen him before; but she instantly raised her voice, andalmost shouted to him--"You are to come with me; please, you are to comeat once. Little Nan is ill--she is hurt. Please, you are to come atonce."
"Eh! young lady?" said the round-faced doctor. "Oh! I see; you are oneof the little girls from Lavender House. Is anything wrong there,dear?"
Hester managed to relate what had occurred; whereupon the doctorinstantly opened the door of the waggonette.
"Jump out, young lady," he said; "I will drive you back in my brougham.Masters," addressing his coachman, "to Lavender House."
Hester sat back in the soft-cushioned carriage, which bowled smoothlyalong the road. It seemed to her impatience that the pace at which theywent was not half quick enough--she longed to put her head out of thewindow to shout to the coachman to go faster. She felt intenselyprovoked with the doctor, who sat placidly by her side reading anewspaper.
Presently she saw that his eyes were fixed on her. He spoke in hisquietest tones.
"We always take precisely twenty minutes to drive from the Parade toLavender House--twenty minutes, neither more nor less. We shall bethere now in exactly ten minutes." Hester tried to smile, but failed;her agony of apprehension grew and grew. She breathed more freely whenthey turned into the avenue. When they stopped at the wide stone porch,and the doctor got out, she uttered a sigh of relief.
She took Dr Mayflower herself up to Nan's room. Miss Danesbury openedthe door, the doctor went inside, and Hester crouched down on thelanding and waited. It seemed to her that the good physician wouldnever come out. When he did she raised a perfectly blanched face tohis, she opened her lips, tried to speak, but no words would come. Heragitation was so intense that the kind-hearted doctor took instant pityon her.
"Come into this room, my child," he said. "My dear, you will be illyourself if you give way like this. Pooh! pooh! this agitation isextreme--is uncalled for. You have got a shock. I shall prescribe aglass of sherry at once. Come downstairs with me, and I will see thatyou get one."
"But how is she, sir--how is she?" poor Hester managed to articulate.
"Oh! the little one--sweet, pretty, little darling. I did not know shewas your sister--a dear little child. She got an ugly fall, though--came on a nasty place."
"But, please, sir, how is she? She--she--she is not in danger?"
"Danger? by no means, unless you put her into it. She must be kept veryquiet, and, above all things, not excited. I will come to see her againto-morrow morning. With proper care she ought to be quite herself in afew days. Ah! now you've got a little colour in your cheek, come downwith me and have that glass of sherry, and you will feel all right."
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.
ANNIE TO THE RESCUE.
The picnic-party arrived home late. The accident to little Nan had notshortened the day's pleasure, although Mrs Willis, the moment she heardof it, had come back; for she entered the hall just as the doctor wasstepping into his carriage. He gave her his opinion, and said that hetrusted no further mischief, beyond a little temporary excitement, hadbeen caused. He again, however, spoke of the great necessity of keepingNan quiet, and said that her school-fellows must not come to her, andthat she must not be excited in any way. Mrs Willis came into thegreat hall where Hester was standing. Instantly she went up to theyoung girl, and put her arm around and drew her to her side.
"Darling," she said, "this is a grievous anxiety for you; no words canexpress my sorrow and my sympathy; but the doctor is quite hopeful,Hester, and, please God, we shall soon have the little one as well asever."
"You are really sorry for me?" said Hester, raising her eyes to thehead-mistress's face.
"Of course, dear; need you ask?"
"Then you will have that wicked Annie Forest punished--well punished--well punished."
"Sometimes, Hester," said Mrs Willis very gravely, "God takes thepunishment of our wrongdoings into His own hands. Annie came home withme. Had you seen her face as we drove together you would not have asked_me_ to punish her."
"Unjust, always unjust," muttered Hester, but in so low a voice thatMrs Willis did not hear the words. "Please may I go to little Nan?"she said.
"Certainly, Hester--some tea shall be sent up to you presently."
Miss Danesbury arranged to spend that night in Nan's room. A sofa bedwas brought in for her to lie on, for Mrs Willis had yielded toHester's almost feverish entreaties that she might not be banished fromher little sister. Not a sound reached the room where Nan was lying--even the girls took off their shoes as they passed the door--not awhisper came to disturb the sick child. Little Nan slept most of theevening, only sometimes opening her eyes and looking up drowsily whenMiss Danesbury changed the cold application to her head. At nineo'clock there came a low tap at the room door. Hester went to open it;one of her school-fellows stood without.
"The prayer-gong is not to be sounded to-night. Will you come to thechapel now? Mrs Willis sent me to ask."
Hester shook her head.
"I cannot," she whispered; "tell her I cannot come."
"Oh, I am so sorry?" replied the girl; "is Nan very bad?"
"I don't know: I hope not. Good-night."
Hester closed the room door, took off her dress, and began very softlyto prepare to get into bed. She put on her dressing-gown, and kneltdown as usual to her private prayers. When she got on her knees,however, she found it impossible to pray; her brain felt in a whirl, herfeelings were unprayerlike; and with the temporary relief of believingNan in no immediate danger came such a flood of hatred toward Annie asalmost frightened her. She tried to ask God to make Nan better--quitewell; but even this petition seemed to go no way--to reach no one--tofall flat on the empty air. She rose from her knees, and got quietlyinto bed.
Nan lay in that half-drowsy and languid state until midnight. Hester,with all her very slight expedience of illness, thought that as long asNan was quiet she must be getting better; but Miss Danesbury was by nomeans so sure, and, notwithstanding the doctor's verdict, she feltanxious about the child. Hester had said that she could not sleep; butat Miss Danesbury's special request she got into bed, and before sheknew anything about it was in a sound slumber. At midnight, when allthe house was quiet, and Miss Danesbury kept a lonely watch by the sickchild's pillow, there came a marked change for the worse in the littleone. She opened her feverish eyes wide and began to call out piteously;but her cry now was, not for Hester, but for Annie.
"Me want my Annie," she said over and over, "me do, me do. No, no; go'way, naughty Daybury, me want my Annie; me do want her."
Miss Danesbury felt puzzled and distressed. Hester, however, wasawakened by the piteous cry, and sat up in bed.
"What is it, Miss Danesbury?" she asked.
"She is very much excited, Hester; she is calling for Annie Forest."
"Oh, that is quite impossible," said Hester, a shudder passing throughher. "Annie can't come here. The doctor specially said that none ofthe girls were to come near Nan."
"Me want Annie; me want my own Annie," wailed the sick child.
"Give me my dressing-gown, please, Miss Danesbury, and I will go toher," said Hester.
She sprang out of bed, and approached the little crib. The brightnes
sof Nan's feverish eyes was distinctly seen. She looked up at Hester,who bent over her; then she uttered a sharp cry and covered her littleface.
"Go 'way, go 'way, naughty Hetty--Nan want Annie; Annie sing, Annie p'aywith Nan--go 'way, go 'way, Hetty."
Hester's heart was too full to allow her to speak; but she knelt by thecrib and tried to take one of the little hot hands in hers. Nan,however, pushed her hands away, and now began to cry loudly.
"Annie!--Annie!--Annie! me want 'oo; Nan want 'oo--poor tibby Nan want'oo, Annie!"
Miss Danesbury touched Hester on her shoulder.
"My dear," she said, "the child's wish must