The tears came as Tom recalled the terror, caused by the news of his father and the sight of his mother's face.
"But father is not killed, and mother will soon be better, Tom, so you mustn't cry, my man. You and I have got to help mother, and crying is not the way to do it; but I don't wonder at the tears, my poor little man. I daresay I should have been ready to cry too, if I had been there. Now we must just think to ourselves how we can make the best of a bad job. And we'll make all the haste we can, and see what has to be done first."
"You'll stay with us, Sarah, won't you?" asked Tom.
"To be sure I will, if mother wants me," said Sarah, which reply lengthened Tom's face a little.
Child as he was, he had divined that mother could not have wanted Sarah, or she would have asked her to tea sometimes, and not told him and the rest to hold their tongues when they said how kind she had been, or that she was sick of hearing Sarah's name. Well, any way, he could not be blamed for bringing her this time, for Mr. Evans had sent him to fetch her.
Tom need have had no fears on the score of a welcome for Sarah. With the first moments of returned consciousness, Mrs. Livesey had become aware that she should be ill-fitted to sustain even the burden of her daily work unassisted. Indeed, she doubted whether she might not be dependent upon others for still further help.
Richard Evans had told Mrs. Livesey that he had sent for his niece; but Margaret's pale face flushed at the mention of Sarah's name, then paled again as she whispered, "I don't think she'll come."
"I don't think anything about it. I'm sure she will come sooner or later. It will be very soon if Tom finds her at my place," replied Richard. "Why, bless your heart, Mrs. Livesey, if you were the biggest enemy she had, instead of being a neighbour and in trouble, Sarah would be ready to run to your help without being asked at all. And I really believe she's here," he added, as the latch was lifted and Tom entered with his niece.
"Just at the right time, Sarah, lass," said Richard. "Did Tom meet you on the road?"
"No, uncle; but I had heard about Mr. Livesey's accident, and I thought maybe I could help a bit, so I put on my things, and was ready when Tom came to the door. Please don't move," for Margaret was trying to raise herself from the couch. "You don't look fit for anything but to be waited on, and if you'll let me, I'll look after you and the children. I know where to find things, for you have a place for every one of them, and each in its place."