May, though greatly disappointed at thus missing Harry, hurried down to the cottage with Peggy Brown, often looking in the direction of Texford in the hopes of seeing him coming along the road. Still the duty and affection she owed her kind foster-mother prompted her to hasten on. She found the dame in bed. Seldom having been ill, the good woman was greatly alarmed about herself. She had caught a chill and was feverish and weak. Adam, and Jacob were away in the _Nancy_, and there was no one except Peggy to attend to her, as Mrs Brown had only waited for May's coming to go back to her own cottage. May regretted that Miss Jane had not accompanied her, as the dame, she thought, would probably have been benefited by her skill. At length the doctor arrived. "Cheer up, Mistress Halliburt, we will soon bring you round; with your fine constitution you have nothing to be afraid of. I can leave you safely under charge of this young lady," said the doctor in a cheerful tone, bowing to May. "I will look in by-and-bye, and if I find you better, as I am sure I shall, she can return home. Send Peggy up and she will bring you back the medicine I wish you to take immediately." May felt greatly relieved at hearing this, though the dame shook her head, apparently not believing him. In spite, however, of her fears the dame got better by the time Adam came back, and the doctor soon afterwards looking in assured May that she might leave her mother without the slightest anxiety, for as it was Saturday Adam was not going to sea in the evening. May, leaving a message for Jacob who was still on board the _Nancy_, thanking him for the last shells he had brought, and saying that more would be acceptable, set off on her walk home. Jacob had ascertained, so the dame told her, that young Gaffin and his father had been seen to leave the inn some days before on horseback, with valises behind them, and that she thus need not fear being again annoyed by him. She hurried on, her heart beating quicker than usual at the thought of meeting Harry. She was sure he would have remained at Downside till her return; indeed she had fancied that he might have come down to the cottage, but perhaps the wish not to attract the attention of the inhabitants of the village induced him not to do so. She had nearly reached the gate of Downside when she saw standing before her not ten paces off, the very youth who had before given her so much annoyance. "He will not surely dare to speak to me now," she thought. "If he does I can run home without replying. If I turn back it would show that I am afraid of him, and he would overtake me before I could reach any cottage." She had but little time, however, for consideration, so she walked steadily on, simply crossing over to the other side of the road and keeping her eyes directly before her.