"Oh, yes, miss," Grace responded, "she's had a blow on her head and broken two ribs. Dr. Elizabeth says the ribs are the least of her injuries. She's been raving all night and Mrs. Medland's been up with her, but she's quieted down a bit now and seems more like herself. It did scare me to hear her going on like a mad thing, calling herself such dreadful names and saying as how she was a thief and would be sent to jail."
"Poor girl, she was delirious," said Ann; "I suppose her mother is with her now?"
"Yes, miss. I'll call Mrs. Medland, shall I?"
"No, no! You must not disturb her on our account. We only came to know if it was really Lottie who fell off the round-about last night—we had an idea it must have been—and, if so, to find out how she is. You think she is better this morning?"
"She is quieter, miss, so I suppose she is better."
"It must be dreadful to hear anyone raving in delirium," observed Violet, who was looking very grave and concerned.
"Oh, dreadful!" agreed the little charwoman. "If the police had really been after Lottie last night she couldn't have yelled louder," she proceeded; "and there was no sense in what she said—it was all about a purse she fancied she'd stolen. She'd keep on like this: 'It wasn't stealing—yes it was—she dropped it—nobody saw it but me—a tortoise-shell purse with money in it, lots of money!' She was just mazed, you know," she concluded, noticing that her graphic description of the sick girl's wandering talk was making a great impression upon her listeners. Violet and Ann had both started violently, and now they were exchanging glances expressive of mingled bewilderment and dismay.
"Did she say a tortoise-shell purse?" asked Ann, in a shocked tone.
"Yes, miss, she kept on about it, and once she said 'a tortoise-shell purse with a golden clasp.' Oh, she was clean off her head! No one could make any sense of what she said, except to understand that she was in dreadful fear of being sent to jail. But here comes Mrs. Medland; she'll be able to tell you more about Lottie than I can."
"I recognised your voices," Mrs. Medland said, as she entered the room. "Grace, will you go and sit with Lottie for a while?" Then, as soon as the little charwoman had gone upstairs, she added: "I take it as very kind of you two young ladies to come to me in this fresh trouble."