Mary Fuller looked up; her large eyes began to dilate, and her face grew very pale. The woman's eyes fell upon her. A look of ferocious pleasure rose to her face, and she came forward, laying her hand heavily upon the child's shoulder. "Mother!" broke from Mary Fuller, and the tears stood in her affrighted eyes, "oh, mother!" "Don't mother me, puss! A pretty child you are, to sneak off, get yourself new frocks and the like, while your own poor mamma is in prison!" cried the woman, clutching the child's shoulder. "And how came you here at last?" "I came in search of her!" said the child, pointing to Mrs. Chester; "she was good to me, after--after they took you away. I lived with them; this is her little girl!" "Then you did not come to see your own mother!--very well--very well! I only wait till I get out, that's all!" and giving the poor child a shake, the woman fell to settling the bed-clothes about Mrs. Chester, muttering threats against the child who stood trembling by her side. "I have come," said Mary, meekly, following the woman as she turned from the bed; "I have come to stay. The kind gentleman at the Park said that we might both live at Bellevue till she was better. Mother, oh! mother, let me help take care of her. I can--see how strong I have grown!" "Take care of her, indeed--and who would take care of me, if I were sick, I should like to know?" "I would, indeed I would, mother." "Indeed you would--very likely," sneered the woman. "But stay, for what I care--you will be sure to catch the fever though; and that little doll, with long curls, let her stay, too. It's a sweet place, here, for children!" "I don't want her to stay here--only let her come in once in awhile to see her poor mother--she is so young and so pretty; the fever takes those first, I am sure!" "Well, let her come or go--only remember this, if you stay here it will be no baby play, but work--I'll make you work, let me tell you that!" "I will work--oh, mother, if anything I can do will only save her! You don't know how hungry I was after you went away--and she fed me!" "Well, feed her, then!" cried the woman, a little softened, "there is a cup, get some water and give her drinks!" Mary Fuller took the tin-cup pointed out, and filled it with water. She went up to the patient with her gentle voice, and held the water to her lips. The poor woman drank greedily, and then Mary went about seeking for other means of comfort. The doctor had not yet seen his patient, so she could only act by her own feeble judgment. She found a large bowl, and filling it with water, bathed the neck and face and hands of the poor invalid. Then she saturated Isabel's handkerchief, and laid it moist and dripping upon the hot forehead. "She is better--see, it does her good!" cried the child, with glad tears in her eyes, turning to Isabel, who stood by, weeping as if her heart would break, and trembling with a fit of terror that had seized her the moment she entered the room.