Hauksbee answered valiantly, "Of course I
will."
But Dora did not improve, and the Doctor seemed to be always in the house.
"There's some danger of the thing taking a bad turn," he said; "I'll come over
between three and four in the morning tomorrow."
"Good gracious!" said Mrs. Hauksbee. "He never told me what the turn would be!
My education has been horribly neglected; and I have only this foolish mother-
woman to fall back upon."
The night wore through slowly, and Mrs. Hauksbee dozed in a chair by the fire.
There was a dance at the Viceregal Lodge, and she dreamed of it till she was
aware of Mrs. Bent's anxious eyes staring into her own.
"Wake up! Wake up! Do something!" cried Mrs. Bent, piteously. "Dora's choking
to death! Do you mean to let her die?"
Mrs. Hauksbee jumped to her feet and bent over the bed. The child was fighting
for breath, while the mother wrung her hands despairing.
"Oh, what can I do? What can you do? She won't stay still! I can't hold her.
Why didn't the Doctor say this was coming?" screamed Mrs. Bent. "Won't you
help me? She's dying!"
"I-I've never seen a child die before!" stammered Mrs. Hauksbee, feebly, and
then--let none blame her weakness after the strain of long watching--she broke
down, and covered her face with her hands.
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