Nellie came with her hands over her face.
"Don't feel so badly, dear. I am not so very tired, and I do not think it will hurt me," said Mrs. Ransom. "I thought I was stronger than it seems I am; but another time we will both be more careful, hey?"
And she drew away Nellie's hand, and tenderly kissed her hot, wet cheek.
Nellie went down upon one of the pair of stools occupied by her mother's feet, somewhat to Daisy's disgust, who only forgave her by reason of the distress she saw her in, and buried her face on her knee.
She was never a child of many words, and just now they failed her altogether; but her mother needed none.
"What did Nellie do? Did she hurt herself?" asked the wondering Daisy.
"No," said Carrie. "She hasn't hurt herself, but she"—Carrie's explanations were not apt to prove balm to a wounded spirit, and her mother checked her by uplifted finger and a warning shake of her head, taking up the word herself.
"No," she said to Daisy. "Nellie is troubled about something, but we won't talk about it now."