Miss Storey smiled, for that was more easily ordered than obeyed.
"We will try," she said.
"Hecla must go to bed now and to sleep. And you have to rest. News shall be brought the first thing in the morning."
"Won't Auntie Anne come back?" Hecla asked in a very subdued voice.
The doctor answered, "No." Then he made Hecla say "Good-night," and sent her away with Elisabeth. And he told Mrs. Prue she must be in Miss Storey's room, in case anything were wanted in the night.
He did not tell them that there had been a time that day when he feared little Ivy might not live many hours. She had been in great danger of sinking from the severe shock and the sudden chill of her fall into the water. Think what it would have meant to Hecla and to Mildred if the little one had died! But mercifully she was now improving, and the doctor hoped that with great care she would soon be well.
She did get well, but it was nearly a week before she was allowed to be moved, and Miss Anne stayed all that time in the doctor's house; and Hecla was not allowed to see Ivy. The doctor was anxious that the little one should get really over her accident, and he insisted on keeping her very quiet, and having no excitement at all.
By the end of a week, however, he consented to Ivy being carried across to "The Cottage," wrapped in a blanket, for Miss Anne was longing to be at home. Miss Storey had been very poorly all through the week, and Elisabeth and Mrs. Prue had had to nurse her.
No doubt all this was in the end good for Hecla. She had to spend much time by herself, which meant a good deal of leisure for thinking, and she was dull and lonely, even though the Vicar and Chris kindly looked in as often as they possibly could to cheer her up. But in all her life afterwards, she would never forget that week. It seemed more like a year than only seven days. She could not but be deeply impressed in her little mind with the sad consequences which may follow on one small act of disobedience—not really small, for no wrong-doing is ever really small, only it seemed small to her. And so she would not forget the great danger of giving in to sudden temptation.
At last the day was fixed for Ivy's return, and on that very same day, the doctor gave leave for Miss Storey to come downstairs for the first time, just for an hour. Hecla was wild with joy.