"Has she took it, Tottie?" she asked.
"Yes, she's had most of it," said the girl, holding up the glass to let her mother see that there was not much left in it. In point of fact, only the first few drops had been swallowed by Lizzie, the rest having been purposely spilled on the floor of the van by Tottie. But it served the purpose she had in view, and poor Tottie had never been taught the sin of lying.
Mrs. Stanley stood for a moment looking at the heap of tumbled pink tarlatan lying motionless on the floor, and her daughter, noticing the anxious look that came into her eyes, said in an indifferent tone:
"You'll have to serve her out some other way. A whacking will about do for her now. She's caved in quicker than I did."
"Humph! She'll never be worth her weight in gold to us after all, I'm afraid," grumbled Mrs. Stanley.
"You'll have to let her take it easy if she's ever to be any good," remarked Tottie. "I thought I'd get her bed in and make her comfortable," she added, handing the glass she held to her mother.
"All right. Bring her round if you can, for she does this show business very well, and you are getting on at the fortune-telling."
Saying which Mrs. Stanley went to see after some other business that needed her attention, leaving the two girls together.
If Lizzie heard what passed, she was too weak to notice it, and only roused herself again when Tottie dragged in her sack of straw, and tried to lift her on to it.
"Don't, don't!" she gasped, for every movement was so painful that she only desired to be left alone.