“If you wants Miss Betty, you’ll find her in her bedroom,” said Fanny, looking somewhat cross and puzzled.  “I don’t know, I’m sure, why you’re making such a to-do about seeing her, when there’s so much else to think on.  Miss Betty’s all right, and so is—­Why, Miss Kitty, what’s the matter?  You ain’t feeling bad, are you?” cried Fanny in great alarm, for poor Kitty had dropped, white and limp, and trembling uncontrollably, into a chair in the hall.

“Oh no—­no.  I’m all right.  Only—­I’m so—­so glad.  I have been so frightened about her; but I am so glad—­so—­I came to—­to try to find her.  No one knew I had come, and all the way I was thinking of her out all night in the dark and rain; and then the good news came, and it—­ made me feel—­feel—­” Kitty’s head fell forward again, and the world seemed to rock and sway, and recede farther and farther from her, when a voice said, “Leave her to me,” and some one lifted her up and laid her on a couch, and then something was held to her lips and her nose, and presently Kitty began to feel that the rest of the world was not so very, very far off after all, and then she sighed and opened her eyes, and saw a strange face looking down at her.  It was rather a tired, anxious face, but it smiled very kindly at Kitty.

“Better now?” asked Dr. Yearsley.

“Yes, thank you,” whispered Kitty.  “How funny!”

“I am glad you can see any fun in it,” said the doctor with the ghost of a smile.  “It is the only funny thing that has happened in this unlucky house for the last day or two.  But it isn’t the sort of humour I appreciate.”

“I am so sorry,” said Kitty, trying to rise, “only I have never fainted before, and it seemed so odd that I should.  It is a horrid feeling.”

“Yes, not the sort of thing you want to repeat.  But perhaps it will cheer Jabez.  We have had two catastrophes, and he has got it into his head that there has got to be a third.  Perhaps this will count as the third, and the spell be broken.  Now lie still, and rest for a little while and have some food.  You are exhausted, and I want strong reliable helpers, not any more patients,” with a smile that robbed his words of any harshness.  “You and I have our hands full.”

Kitty smiled up at him bravely.  “I am ready to do anything I am wanted to.  How is Aunt Pike?” anxiously.  “May I see her?  Is she very ill?”

Dr. Yearsley looked grave.  “I will answer your questions backwards.  Yes, to be quite frank with you, as the head of your family for the present, she is seriously ill.  She has had a stroke of paralysis, and at first I thought I must send to your father; but I was very unwilling to worry him, and I waited a little to see how things went.  I am thankful to say she has rallied a little, and if she goes on improving, even though it is but slightly, I am hoping he may be spared the bad news until we can send him better news with it.  I don’t want to worry him if I can help it.”