She flew to her,
stretching out her arms like a child, but was so feeble that she
tripped and fell. Mary lifted her, and laid her wailing on her
couch.
"Letty," said Mary, "you didn't think I was going to leave you!
But I must go for an hour, perhaps two, to make arrangements for
staying with you till Tom is over the worst."
Then Letty clasped her hands in her old, beseeching way, and
looked up with a faint show of comfort.
"Be courageous, Letty," said Mary. "I shall be back as soon as
ever I can. God has sent me to you."
She drove straight home, and heard that Mrs. Redmain was annoyed
that she had gone out.
"I offered to dress her," said Jemima; "and she knows I can quite
well; but she would not get up till you came, and made me fetch
her a book. So there she is, a-waiting for you!"
"I am sorry," said Mary; "but I had to go, and she was fast
asleep."
When she entered her room, Hesper gave her a cold glance over the
top of her novel, and went on with her reading. Mary proceeded to
get her things ready for dressing. But by this time she had got
interested in the story.
"I shall not get up yet," she said.
"Then, please, ma'am," replied Mary, "would you mind letting
Jemima dress you? I want to go out again, and should be glad if
you could do without me for some days. My friend's baby is dead,
and both she and her husband are very ill.
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