When Brown and his wife reached the hospital, they found Fanny anxiously looking out for them.
"You won't be able to stay long, mother," she said, "and I want to tell you something while I can. I told the Vicar all about the watch; but in my box you will find a new brown frock, and I have not paid for it. I got a new place, where I was to have ten pounds a year, that I might pay for this and the watch. Oh, you don't know what a foolish, wicked girl I have been!" said Fanny, bursting into tears.
"Hush! hush! You must not cry, or I shall have to send your mother away, and then you will not be able to tell her what you want her to do," said Nurse, speaking very firmly.
The tears were in her father's eyes as well as in Fanny's; but he managed to say—
"You want me to pay for this dress, dear?"
"Oh yes, if you can. I want you to lend me the money, and when I get well, and can go to service again, I will pay you back, daddy."
"Yes, yes," said her mother; "we will do just what you wish. We have saved some money, you know, to buy new furniture for the parlour, but your new frock shall be paid for out of it directly."
"Oh, thank you, thank you, mother," said Fanny, gratefully. "Now I shall be able to go to sleep, Nurse," she added; "for my father and mother will pay what I owe, I am sure. Give my love to Miriam when you see her. And if Mrs. Lloyd's servant leaves, ask Mrs. Lloyd to wait till I get well, and let me come back to her."
"There, no more," said Nurse; "you must go now," she said, speaking to Mrs. Brown; and the next minute they were hurried out of the ward, and Fanny was swallowing some medicine that should help her to go to sleep.
The rest of my story is soon told. Mrs. Brown went home and once more unlocked Fanny's box. As the girl had told her, she found Mrs. Scott's bill in the pocket, with a few words added that the writer could not afford to give long credit, and that she hoped half the price of the dress would be paid the following week. She showed this to her husband, and he agreed that the whole twenty-five shillings must be paid at once. It seemed an extravagant amount to Mrs. Brown, who had been used to get a frock for Fanny at the cost of a few shillings, even when she had to pay for it herself; and when she looked again at this brown dress she could only say that it was not worth half the money now, it was so tumbled.