'Promised who?'
'Me.'
'What do you mean?'
'When you say, "See my finger wet, see it dry, cut my throat suresever I die," you've got to keep to it.'
'And you promised yourself like that that you wouldn't kiss me—me—mamma, who has been away for years and years breaking her heart for her little baby.'
'Oh,' gasped Floss, the fortress nearly down, 'but we might have got dropsy, truly, dropsy and deafness, me and Roly; May Daly's mother says so; you gen'ally get them after measles.'
'But you didn't, you didn't, Tiny. I prayed and prayed over the seas to God to take care of you all for me, and I knew He would. See how well and strong you all are! But ah, I never thought Tiny would break my heart like this.'
Her voice quivered—fell away; Floss, putting up an uncertain hand through the darkness, found the cheek above her quite wet.
'Mother!' she cried, and was face downward in a minute sobbing relievedly on her mother's breast.
When they had lain together happy and quiet for a little time, the mother stirred to go, for Miss Browne must come to bed.