So Rachel first made her visit to little man, sitting up in his bed, very pale and thin, and looking at her, not with his pretty smile, but a languid, earnest wonder, and not speaking. How quickly and strikingly sickness tells upon children. Little man's frugal store of toys, chiefly the gifts of pleasant Rachel, wild beasts, Noah and his sons, and part of a regiment of foot soldiers, with the usual return of broken legs and missing arms, stood peacefully mingled upon the board across his bed which served as a platform. But little man was leaning back; his fingers once so busy, lay motionless on the coverlet, and his tired eyes rested on the toys with a joyless, earnest apathy. 'Didn't play with them a minute,' said the maid. 'I'll bring him a new box. I'm going into the town; won't that be pretty?' said Rachel, parting his golden locks over the young forehead, and kissing him; and she took his little hand in hers--it was hot and dry. 'He looks better--a little better, don't you think; just a little better?' whispered his mamma, looking, as all the rest were, on that wan, sad little face. But he really looked worse. 'Well, he can't look better, you know, dear, till there's a decided change. What does Doctor Buddle say?' 'He saw him yesterday morning. He thinks it's all from his stomach, and he's feverish; no meat. Indeed he won't eat anything, and you see the light hurts his eyes. There was only a chink of the shutter open. 'But it is always so when he is ever so little ill, my precious little man; and I _know_ if he thought it anything the _least_ serious, Doctor Buddle would have looked in before now, he's so very kind.' 'I wish my darling could get a little sleep. He's very tired, nurse,' said Rachel. 'Yes'm, very tired'm; would he like his precious head lower a bit? No; very well, darling, we'll leave it so.' 'Dolly, darling, you and nurse must be so tired sitting up. I have a little wine at Redman's Farm. I got it, you remember, more than a year ago, when Stanley said he was coming to pay me a visit. I never take any, and a little would be so good for you and poor nurse. I'll send some to you.' So coming down stairs Rachel said, 'Is the vicar at home?' Yes, he was in the study, and there they found him brushing his seedy hat, and making ready for his country calls in the neighbourhood of the town. The hour was dull without little Fairy; but he would soon be up and out again, and he would steal up now and see him. He could not go out without his little farewell at the bed-side, and he would bring him in some pretty flowers. 'You've seen little Fairy!' asked the good vicar, with a very anxious smile, 'and you think him better, dear Miss Lake, don't you?' 'Why, I can't say that, because you know, so soon as he's better, he'll be quite well; they make their recoveries all in a moment.' 'But he does not look worse?' said the vicar, lifting his eyes eagerly from his boot, which he was buttoning on the chair.