“I don’t think he will, for he cannot do so without talking about having his pigtail cut off, and I know he cannot bear to think of it.”

“Well, then, pray don’t you, that’s a good boy.”

“I never will, I promise you.”

“Then, good-night, Jack; you must leave me now, I don’t feel quite well.”

I wished the widow good-night, and went back to my mother’s house.  My father was there, but he never hinted at the conversation which had taken place, neither at that time nor afterward.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

     Showing how Old Nanny fell Sick and got Well again.

Before I fell asleep that night I thought a great deal of what had passed between the widow St. Felix and my father.  Why should she have shown such emotion, and why should she request of me not to mention what had passed?  I had heard reports about her, as I have before mentioned; I had heard them from old Nanny, but I did not put any confidence in what she said.  Thinking of old Nanny reminded me that I had not called upon her for some time, and I resolved that I would visit her the next day.

It was not until late in the evening that I could spare time to call upon her, and, what was not usual, I went empty-handed.  I found to my surprise that the door was shut to, and the shutters of the shop not taken down.  I tried the latch, the door opened, and I went in.

“Who’s there?” screamed old Nanny from the inner room.  “What do you want?”

“It’s only Poor Jack, mother,” replied I, “come to see how you are.”

“Come in,” replied she; “I’m very bad.  Oh! oh!  I thought it was some thief or another come to steal all the things in my shop.”

I entered the room and found old Nanny in bed; she looked very ill and miserable, and everything was very dirty.

“Are you not well, mother?” said I.

“Well, boy?  No, very ill, very ill indeed, haven’t left my bed these three days.  Reach me a little water, Jack, there’s a good boy.  I’ve been dying for water.”

I handed her a broken jug which had some water in it.  She drank greedily, so as to spill nearly half of it on the coverlid.

“Oh, how good it is!” exclaimed the old woman, as soon as she recovered her breath.  “I’m better now.  I could not reach it myself.  I’ve the rheumatiz so bad!  I’ve been in such a fright because I could not lock the door; it kept me awake all night long.  Oh, my poor back!”

“But why did you not send for the doctor, mother?”

“Doctor!  Eh? who’s to pay him?  I’ve got no money, Jack.”

“Well, but Dr. Tadpole’s very kind.”

“Yes, yes, kind to the widow; but not to old women like me, without any money.”

“But why not have some one to sit up with you, and help you?”

“Sit up with me!  Who’d sit up with me?  Yes, if I paid them.  But I’ve no money, Jack; and then, I don’t know them.  They might rob me—­there’s a great many pretty things in my shop.”