Ah Teddy and Teddy’s mother! if you had loved the truth as well as you loved little lost ’Toinette, how much suffering, anxiety, and anguish you would have saved to her and her’s!

But the doctor asked no more questions, except such as Mrs. Ginniss could answer without hesitation; and pretty soon went away, promising to come again next day, and taking Teddy with him to the infirmary where medicine is furnished without charge to those unable to pay for it.

Before the boy returned, ’Toinette had passed from the stupid to the delirious stage of her fever; and all that night, as he woke or dozed in his little closet close beside his mother’s door, poor Teddy’s heart ached to hear the wild tones of entreaty, of terror, or of anger, proving to his mind that the delicate child he already loved so well had suffered much and deeply, and that at no distant period.

Toward morning, he dressed, and crept into his mother’s room.  The washerwoman sat in the clothes she had worn at bed-time, patiently fanning her little charge, and, half asleep herself, murmuring constantly,—­

“Ah thin, honey, whisht, whisht!  It’s nothin’ shall harm ye now, darlint!  Asy, now, asy, mavourneen!  Whisht, honey, whisht!”

“Lie down and sleep, mother, and let me sit by her,” whispered Teddy in his mother’s ear; and, with a nod, the weary woman crept across the foot of the bed, and was asleep in a moment.

CHAPTER IX.

The night-watch.

Teddy, waving the old palm-leaf fan up and down with as much care as if it had carried the breath of life to his poor little charge, sat for some time very quiet, listening to her wild prattle without trying to interrupt it; until, after lying still for a few moments, she suddenly fixed her eyes upon him, and said,—­

“Oh! you’re Peter Phinn, sister to Merry that weared a sun-bonnet, ain’t you?”

The question seemed so conscious and rational, that Teddy answered eagerly,—­

“No, honey; but I’m Teddy Ginniss; and I’m going to be your brother forever and always.  What’s your name, sissy?”

“I’m Finny; no, I’m Cherrytoe,—­I’m Cherrytoe, that dances.  Want to see me dance, Peter?”

As she spoke, she started up, and would have jumped out of bed; but Teddy laid his hand upon her arm, and said soothingly,—­

“No, no, sissy; not now.  Another day you shall dance for Teddy, when you’re all well.  And you mustn’t call me Peter, ’cause I’m Teddy.”

“Teddy, Teddy,” repeated ’Toinette vaguely, and then, with a sudden shrill laugh, shouted,—­“’Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief; Taffy came to my house and stole a piece of beef.’  Guess you’re Taffy, ain’t you?”

“No:  I’m Teddy.  I’m your brother Teddy,” repeated the boy patiently; and then, to change the subject, added coaxingly, “And what’s the pretty name you called yourself, darlint?”