The doctor was a very kind old man, and he did his best, so we will not say anything about his antique instruments, or the number of times he tied a pocket-handkerchief round an awful-looking claw, and put both into Madam Liberality’s mouth without effect.

At last he said he had got the tooth out, and he wrapped it in paper, and gave it to Madam Liberality, who, having thought that it was her head he had extracted from its socket, was relieved to get away.

As she ran home she began to plan how to lay out her shilling for the best, and when she was nearly there she opened the bit of paper to look at her enemy, and it had no fangs!

“I’m sure it was more than a sixpenny one,” she sobbed; “I believe he has left them in.”

It involved more than the loss of half the funds she had reckoned upon.  Perhaps this dreadful pain would go on even on Christmas Day.  Her first thought was to carry her tears to her mother; her second that, if she only could be brave enough to have the fangs taken out, she might spare mother all distress about it till it was over, when she would certainly like her sufferings to be known and sympathized with.  She knew well that courage does not come with waiting, and making a desperate rally of stout-heartedness, she ran back to the doctor.

He had gone out, but his assistant was in.  He looked at Madam Liberality’s mouth, and said that the fangs were certainly left in and would be much better out.

“Would it hurt very much?” asked Madam Liberality, trembling.

The assistant blinked the question of “hurting.”

“I think I could do it,” said he, “if you could sit still.  Not if you were jumping about.”

“I will sit still,” said Madam Liberality.

“The boy shall hold your head,” said the assistant.

But Madam Liberality rebelled; she could screw up her sensitive nerves to endure the pain, but not to be coerced by “the boy.”

“I give you my word of honour I will sit still,” said she, with plaintive earnestness.

And the assistant (who had just remembered that the boy was out with the gig) said, “Very well, miss.”

We need not dwell upon the next few seconds.  The assistant kept his word, and Madam Liberality kept hers.  She sat still, and went on sitting still after the operation was over till the assistant became alarmed, and revived her by pouring some choking stuff down her throat.  After which she staggered to her feet and put out her hand and thanked him.

He was a strong, rough, good-natured young man, and little Madam Liberality’s pale face and politeness touched him.

“You’re the bravest little lady I ever knew,” he said kindly; “and you keep your word like a queen.  There’s some stuff to put to the place, and there’s sixpence, miss, if you’ll take it, to buy lollipops with.  You’ll be able to eat them now.”

After which he gave her an old pill-box to carry the fragments of her tooth in, and it was labelled “three to be taken at bed-time.”