Maudie could not, however, clearly distinguish what Hoodie said, so, guided by the sound of Hoodie"s voice, she in turn mounted the ladder-like staircase which led to the sleeping-room above. Hoodie was just preparing to come down, but when Maudie made her appearance she drew back a little into the room.
"Baby"s mother won"t let me nurse baby," she said, ""cos she"s ill, though I"m sure I wouldn"t hurt her. Do look at her, Maudie. You can"t think how pretty she is when she"s well--but her face is very red to-day--baby"s mother thinks she"s getting her teeth."
Maudie approached rather timidly. Certainly the baby"s face was very red.
"Please, miss," said its mother, "I think you"d better not stay. It"s very kind of you, and I"m that sorry I can"t tell you, to ask you to go."
"I"ve only _just_ come up-stairs," said Hoodie. "I waited ever so long in the kitchen, "cos I thought baby"s mother was out, and that she"d come in soon. And then I called out and I heard she was up-stairs, so I came up, but she won"t let me touch baby and I can nurse her so nicely."
"It isn"t for that, miss," said Mrs. Lizzie in distress; "it"s only _for fear_ there should be anything catchin" about her. Doctor saw her yesterday and thought it was only her teeth, still it"s best to be careful."
"Yes, thank you," said Maudie, "I think we"d better go. Perhaps we"ll come again when baby"s better. Come, Hoodie."
With some difficulty she got Hoodie away, for though considerably offended with baby"s mother, Hoodie was much more inclined to stay and argue it out with her, than to give in quietly. At the foot of the stair they met Martin; Maudie explained things to her, and Martin"s face grew very grave. She was too really alarmed to be cross.
"Run out at once," she said, "both of you, into the open air, and stay in the field till I come; I have sent Lucy home. Better know the worst at once," she added to herself, as she climbed the steep little stair, "oh dear, oh dear! who ever would have thought of such a thing?"
CHAPTER XII.
HOODIE AWAKES.
"And till we"re nice old ladies We"ll love each other so."
When Martin joined the two little girls again, her face looked not only grave, but white. Maudie felt frightened, she hardly knew why. Hoodie, in a state of defiance to meet the expected scolding, was so amazed at its not coming that the surprise kept her quiet. So they all three walked home in silence, though as fast as possible. No lingering by the way to gather flowers, or to watch the ducks in Farmer Girton"s pond!
Martin held a hand of each little girl, and merely saying now and then, "We must go straight home, my dears," marched steadily on. It was a strange, unnatural kind of walk--the children felt something mysterious about it, without knowing what, and poor Martin"s heart was terribly sore. She _could not_ scold Hoodie, naughty as she had undoubtedly been, for sad fears were picturing themselves before her--what might not be the result of Hoodie"s disobedience?
"Supposing," thought poor Martin, who was of a very anxious, as well as affectionate disposition, "supposing this is the last walk we ever have together? oh dear, oh dear--scarlet fever is an awful thing once it gets into a family, and the kind that is about is a bad kind, they say."
She did not lose her presence of mind, however. As soon as ever they reached the house, she sent the two children straight up to Maudie"s room, a plainly furnished little room opening out of the day-nursery, and told them to wait there till she came to them. Then she went at once to see their mother, and some time pa.s.sed before she came up to them.
"What"s the matter, Martin?" said Maudie, timidly. "Why do you look so sad?"
She did not notice that her mother had followed Martin into the room.
"Martin is rather troubled about something," said her mother, "and you must both try to be very good. And I want to tell you that dear little Hec and Duke are not coming home this evening. They are going to stay a few days at the Rectory."
Maudie gazed up into her mother"s face. She saw there were tears in her eyes.
"Mamma!" she exclaimed. Then in a low voice she whispered, "I understand, mamma. I"ll try to be good, and I"ll pray to G.o.d for us not to get the catching illness."
Mrs. Caryll stooped and kissed her.
"I knew you would be good, dear, and try to make Hoodie so too. Poor Hoodie--she does not know what her disobedience may have caused."
The next few days pa.s.sed slowly and strangely. It was strange and dull to be without the boys, and to Hoodie it was particularly strange that no one scolded her for what she knew she had deserved scolding. They went out for a walk twice a day, by the doctor"s orders, who came to see them the morning after the unfortunate visit to the cottage. Every one was very kind, but every one looked grave, and very soon Hoodie began to find it very dull to have no lessons to do, no Hec and Duke to play and quarrel with, and to have to spend all their time in the two rooms, except of course when they were out with Martin, who never left them for a minute. It was very dull, but worse was to follow. On the morning of the sixth day, Maudie woke with a headache, and a bad pain in her throat, and bravely as she tried to bear it, it was plain to be seen that the poor little girl was suffering very much. Martin would not let her get up, and an hour or two after breakfast, Hoodie, sitting alone and very disconsolate in the day-nursery, heard Dr. Reynolds and her mother coming up-stairs. She jumped up and ran to meet them.
"Mamma," she said, "Martin won"t let me play with Maudie, and I"ve nothing to do. Martin is very cross."
Mrs. Caryll looked gravely at Hoodie.
"Hoodie," she said, "you _must_ be obedient."
"And Miss Maudie doesn"t want her, ma"am," said Martin, appearing at the door of Maudie"s room. "She can"t bear the least noise; and any way it"s better for Miss Hoodie not to be near her, isn"t it, sir?" she asked, turning to the doctor.
He shrugged his shoulders.
"As to infection," he said, "separating them now is a chance the more, that"s all one can say. But one must do one"s best. And in any case the child is better out of a fevered atmosphere. I would prepare another room for her, I think," he added to Mrs. Caryll, and then they both went into Maudie"s room, and Hoodie heard no more.
Hoodie sat by herself, drumming her little fat legs on the side of the table.
"I wonder what they mean," she said to herself. "I wonder what the doctor means about affection. That"s loving--at least people always put it at the end of their letters whether they"re loving or not. I think people tells lots of stories when they"se big--_lotser_ than when they"se little. And it"s all that horrid Martin that"s stoppened my going into Maudie"s room--I don"t believe Maudie said she didn"t want me."
Just then Martin put her head out at the doorway of the inner room.
"Miss Hoodie," she said, "please ring the bell--there"s no bell in here--and when Jane comes up, tell her to send Lucy to speak to me at the other door--the door that opens to the pa.s.sage."
Hoodie executed the commission with great alacrity--even having a message to give was better than having nothing at all to do, and ringing the bell had always been greatly after Hoodie"s own heart.
Somewhat to her surprise, a few minutes after Jane had gone down again in search of Lucy, Lucy herself came into the nursery.
"You were to go to the _other_ door. What a time you"ve been of coming up," said Hoodie, politely.
"I"ve _been_ to the other door, Miss Hoodie, and Martin has told me what she wants me to do," replied Lucy. "Poor Martin, I"m right down sorry for her, and poor little Miss Maudie," said Lucy. "Now, Miss Hoodie, I"m going to take you out into the garden a little, and when we come in I"m going to stay with you in the sewing-room."
Lucy"s manner had become more decided, and somehow Hoodie did not make any objection. She let Lucy put on her hat and take her into the garden, quietly enough.
"Is Maudie _very_ ill, Lucy?" she asked.
"I hope not," said Lucy, "but it"s too soon to say much yet."
"Why are you sorry for Martin?" was Hoodie"s next inquiry.
"Oh, because it"s such a upset, and her that"s that fond of you all,"
said Lucy. "I"m sure if there"s anything I can do, I"ll be only too glad. I"m very glad I"ve had the fever."
"Why are you glad? When did you have it, and was it the affection fever like what Maudie"s got?" asked Hoodie.
Lucy did not laugh. She was rather a matter-of-fact girl.
"I had it when I was six, and people don"t often, almost never, have it twice," she replied. "That"s how I"m to take care of you, Miss Hoodie, otherwise they"d have been afraid of my catching it. Your mamma"s a very kind lady that way, and it"s dreadfully catching--just see how poor Miss Maudie"s got it with that one minute in that cottage the other day."
Hoodie stared at her.
"Did Maudie catch it that day she ran to tell me to come away from the baby"s mother"s cottage?" she said.