ent to her door and opened it. The men came along,
a scattered group of four or five.

"Is Mr. Mat'ieson there?" she said. Mme. Auguste hardly knew him by
sight. "Men, I say! is Mr. Mat'ieson there?"

"George, that's you; you're wanted," said one of the group, looking
back; and a fine-looking, tall man paused at Madame's threshold.

"Are you Mr. Mat'ieson?" said the Frenchwoman.

"Yes, ma'am. That's my name."

"Will you come in? I have something to speak to you. Your little
daughter Nettie is very sick."

"Sick!" exclaimed the man. "Nettie!--Where is she?"

"She is here. Hush! you must not say nothing to her, but she is very
sick. She is come fainting at my door, and I have got her in here; but
she wants to go home, and I think you had better tell her she will not
go home, but she will stay here with me to-night."

"Where is she?" said Mr. Mathieson; and he stepped in with so little
ceremony that the mistress of the house gave way before him. He looked
round the shop.

"She is not here--you shall see her--but you must not tell her she is
sick," said the Frenchwoman, anxiously.

"Where is she?" repeated Mr. Mathieson, with a tone and look which made
Mme. Auguste afraid he would burst the doors if she did not open them.
She opened the inner door without further preparation, and Mr. Mathieson
walked in. By the fading light he saw Nettie lying on the floor at his
feet. He was thoroughly himself now; sobered in more ways than one. He
stood still when he had got there, and spoke not a word.

"Father," said Nettie, softly.

He stooped down over her. "What do you want, Nettie?"

"Can't I go home?"

"She must better not go home to-night!" began Mme. Auguste, earnestly.
"It is so wet and cold! She will stay here with me to-night, Mr.
Mat'ieson. You will tell her that it is best."

But Nettie said, "_Please_ let me go home! mother will be so troubled."
She spoke little, for she felt weak; but her father saw her very eager
in the request. He stooped and put his strong arms under her, and lifted
her up.

"Have you got anything you can put over her?" he said, looking round the
room. "I'll fetch it back."

Seeing that the matter was quite taken out of her hands, the kind little
Frenchwoman was very quick in her arrangements. She put on Nettie's head
a warm hood of her own; then round her and over her she wrapped a thick
woollen counterpane, that to be sure would have let no snow through if
the distance to be trav