The unhappy man did as he was told, and together they covered the poor lady warmly, and then Mr. Granton said gravely, “Your mother would not like it, if she saw you standing here shivering with the cold.”
“No, she wouldn’t,” said the boy smiling bravely. “She’d say, ‘Boysie, you are going to have another sore throat.’ Mr. Granton, boysie will get in beside muvver. She always puts her arm round me, and makes me so comfy.”
I am only a dog, but my heart ached for that child. His little manner was sweet and coaxing, his cunning eyes were fixed on his grown-up friend. He knew what had happened, but he wouldn’t let his little self believe it. He was putting up the bravest fight I ever saw any one put up, and the man didn’t know what to do with him.
Finally master got desperate. He had closed the windows, and turned on the heat, but the child was shivering horribly, and his face was swollen and disfigured with much weeping, and every little while he gave a great gasping sob. Seizing the boy in his arms, master carried him to his own room, put him in bed, and ordered me to jump in, and lie close beside him.
Egbert did not dare disobey him. He cast one frightened look after him, then he threw his little arms so tight round my neck, that he almost strangled me. “Muvver, muvver,” he muttered over and over, “oh! muvver, muvver.”
He was a nervous, high-strung child, and I knew my master was terrified lest he should go the way of his parents. I heard him telephone to Mrs. Bonstone to come quickly. He knew the child ought to have a woman to take care of him.
It was the middle of the night, but Mrs. Stanna got there almost as quickly as the doctor did. From the time she entered the apartment till five hours later, I knew only the boy’s side of the story. Master disappeared, for he had many things to do.
Stanna was lovely with the little orphan. She put her arms round him, hugged and kissed him, and told him a beautiful story about Walter Scott.
Just as she got to the most thrilling part of her tale, Egbert said gravely, “What was on that piece of paper that upsetted muvver?”
Mrs. Bonstone grew pale. The child was not blinded by her attentions.