"Don't cry, Jackie-boy," he
said very gently, "and don't blame Alan,--I don't believe he touched me
that day; I believe now that that was an attack similar to this, only
not so severe. What'll the _next_ one be!" His voice began shaking
again, but he went right on: "Now I want you to help me keep this thing
quiet,--I was hoping you'd be the one to find me,--so that Nannie and
the others won't have it to add to their anxiety while the _pater_ is
ill. I'm afraid he's in a bad way; I don't like the doctor's sounding
his heart,--that looks as if he suspected trouble there. He has been
working like a slave ever since--oh, what _beasts_ we were to get up
that Fetich joke! Poor old _pater_!" Felix folded his arms across his
eyes and lay perfectly quiet; I _think_ I saw a tear run down the side
of his face to his ear, but I won't be sure. That just brought that
horrid lump right back into my throat, but I was determined I wouldn't
break down again; so I got up, and taking a pillow from the bed, brought
it over to slip under Fee's head,--the floor was _so_ hard you know.
This roused him. "You're not very big, Rosebud, but perhaps you can help
me to get to bed," he said, trying to speak as if nothing had happened.
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