Mary Erskine accordingly finished her packing, and Albert went to it, to nail the cover on.  He drove one or two nails, and then he put the hammer down, and sat down himself upon the box, saying that he could not finish the nailing after all.  He was too unwell.  He went into the room, Mary Erskine leading and supporting him.  She conducted him to the bed and opened the curtains so as to let him lie down.  She helped him to undress himself, and then left him, a few minutes while she began to get some tea.  She moved the box, which she had been packing, away from the stoop door, and put it in a corner.  She drew out the trundle-bed, and made, it ready for Bella.  She sat down and gave Bella some supper, and then put her into the trundle-bed, directing her to shut up her eyes and go to sleep.  Bella obeyed.

Mary Erskine then went to the fire and made some tea and toast for Albert, doing every thing in as quiet and noiseless a manner as possible.  When the tea and toast were ready she put them upon a small waiter, and then moving her little work-table up to the side of the bed, she put the waiter upon it.  When every thing was thus ready, she opened the curtains.  Albert was asleep.

He seemed however to be uneasy and restless, and he moaned now and then as if in pain.  Mary Erskine stood leaning over him for some time, with a countenance filled with anxiety and concern.  She then turned away, saying to herself, “If Albert is going to be sick and to die, what will become of me?” She kneeled down upon the floor at the foot of the bed, crossed her arms before her, laid them down very quietly upon the counterpane, and reclined her forehead upon them.  She remained in that position for some time without speaking a word.

Presently she rose and took the tea and toast upon the waiter, and set them down by the fire in order to keep them warm.  She next went to look at the children, to see if they were properly covered.  Then she opened the bed-curtains a little way in order that she might see Albert in case he should wake or move, and having adjusted them as she wished, she went to the stoop door and took her seat there, with her knitting-work in her hand, in a position from which, on one side she could look into the room and observe every thing which took place there, and on the other side, watch the road and see if any one went by.  She thought it probable that some of the workmen, who had been employed at the new house, might be going home about that time, and she wished to send into the village by them to ask Dr. Keep to come.

Mary Erskine succeeded in her design of sending into the village by one of the workmen, and Dr. Keep came about nine o’clock He prescribed for Albert, and prepared, and left, some medicine for him.  He said he hoped that he was not going to be very sick, but he could tell better in the morning when he would come again.

“But you ought not to be here alone,” said he to Mary Erskine.  “You ought to have some one with you.”