Chapter Fifty Seven.
A Struggle for Life and Death.
Bessie was rather longer than usual with her mother that night, but at last the invalid was comfortably settled, and when she went back into the sitting-room the child was just beginning to be restless.
“Will you come and stay with him a minute, Madge?” she said. “I’ll be back directly;” but there was no answer.
“Madge! Madge!”
Bessie felt frightened. She could not tell why, but, with a feeling that something was wrong, she ran to Madge’s room, but only to find it empty, and her hat and cloak gone.
“And Mr Trethick told me not to let her go again!”
Bessie felt more troubled than she could express, and, recalling Madge’s strange and excited ways, she felt now sure that there was something wrong.