"A little hand, indeed," said the poor schoolmaster. "Far beyond all his mates in his learning and his sports too, how did he ever come to be so fond of me? That I should love him is no wonder, but that he should love me!" And here the schoolmaster stopped, and took off his spectacles to wipe them, as though they had grown dim.
"I hope there is nothing the matter, sir," said Nell anxiously.
"Not much, my dear," said the schoolmaster. "I hoped to have seen him on the green to-night. But he'll be there to-morrow."
Then after a pause he turned to her, and speaking very gently, hoped she would say a prayer that night for a sick child.
After a sound night's rest the child rose early in the morning and went down to the room where she had supped last night. As the schoolmaster had already left his bed and gone out, she began herself to make the room neat and tidy, and had just finished when her kind host returned.
He thanked her many times, and said that the old dame who did such work for him had gone out to nurse the little scholar of whom he had told her. The child asked how he was, and hoped he was better.
"No," said the schoolmaster, shaking his head sorrowfully. "No better. They even say he is worse."
"I am very sorry for that, sir," said the child.
She then asked his leave to prepare breakfast; and her grandfather coming downstairs after a while, they all three sat down together. While they were eating, their host said that the old man seemed much tired, and stood in need of rest.
"If the journey you have before you is a long one," he said, "you are very welcome to pass another night here. I should really be glad if you would, friend."