Madge turned to go, but still stood irresolute, and Mrs. Smiley, looking round to enforce her injunction, caught a sight of her wistful, terrified face. The little girl went away as directed; but as soon as she was gone, Mrs. Smiley opened the door of the back-kitchen, and called out, "Here, you Polly, come up here, and keep an eye on this dinner. Now keep basting the meat properly; for if it's burnt, I'll baste you when I come back;" and then she followed Madge up-stairs. She found her kneeling beside Raymond, supporting his head upon her shoulder.
"Well, Mr. Raymond, so you don't find yourself very well!"
A groan was her only answer, and Madge looked imploringly at her.
"You'd best go to bed, sir, I'm thinking.—Miss Madge, my dear, you're in for a bit of nursing. I'm afeard it's a fever that's on him."
Mrs. Smiley's character was changed. She had children of her own, and there were soft spots in her heart still, though the outer coat, formed by her worldly business, was hard and rough. She had known what sickness was, and she was rather a skilful nurse, so from that time whatever spare minutes she had were devoted to Raymond.
Poor little Madge! The days that followed were very sad ones. Her brother grew worse and worse, and she sat by his bedside listening to his wild ravings of delirium, in vain endeavouring to soothe him, or to allay his burning thirst.
Their scanty supply of money was exhausted; and many little comforts which Raymond needed, his sister was unable to procure for him. "I must do something; this cannot go on," she thought; and then an idea flashed into her mind, which she longed to carry out. She went over to the easel, and took down Raymond's picture. It was very nearly finished. "I will go and see if Mr. Jeffery will buy it," she said; and covering it under her little cloak, she set out.
Very timidly she presented herself at the counter, and produced her picture. Mr. Jeffery looked at it. "This is not finished," he remarked.
"No, sir; Raymond was too ill to finish it."
"I cannot take it in this state," said the picture-dealer. "It will never sell."