me in, Uncle Jack was just saying "The doctor says it
is certainly scarlet fever, Mrs. Posset, so I shall send the other
children off by the early train, to their aunt, who is at the
sea-shore."

"Dear to goodness, sir!" cried Mrs. Posset. "And who is to go with the
lambs? and Downy never away from me a night since he was born, that is
to say, further than the next room!"

"I shall go with them, of course," said Uncle Jack, "and I shall take
Susan as nursery-maid, that they may not give Mrs. Wilton too much
trouble. You will have time to pack their things in the morning, Mrs.
Posset. I must go now to give John and Thomas their orders, and you are
to call me if Puffy wakes, remember!"

Then Uncle Jack went out softly, and Mrs. Posset, after settling herself
comfortably among her cushions, put on her spectacles, and opening a
huge Bible which lay in her lap, began to read. Now was my chance, for
the good nurse was far too wide awake to hear anything I said, and Puff
was in a heavy, feverish sleep.

"So, now we are going to have some delightful evenings together," I
said, as I sat down by her pillow. "You have the scarlet fever, my
mouse, and all the other mice are to be sent away to the sea-shore, it
seems."

"Are they?" said Puff. "I am glad of that, for then they will not be
ill. But it will be very lonely without them, Mr. Moonman. And shall I
feel so sick all the time, I wonder?"

"I hope not, indeed!" I replied; "and as for loneliness, not a bit of
it. In the day time you will have Mrs. Posset and Uncle Jack to take
care of you and pet you, and at night you will have me, and the dolls
beside. I see that you have Sally Bradford here beside you. You will
find her quite companionable, I assure you."

"But the dolls cannot talk, Mr. Moonman!" said Puff. "I have often and
often tried to make them, but they never say a word."

[Illustration]

"That is because you only try in the day time, Miss Puff!" said Sally
Bradford, in a shrill voice. "No well-bred doll would ever think of
talking in the day time, as Mr. Moonman can tell you. Try us at night,
when you are asleep, and you will find that we have quite as much to say
for ourselves as other people."

"But it seems so queer to be doing things when one is asleep!" said
Puff.

"Why queerer than to do them when one is awake?" I asked. "The dolls
wonder at you quite as much as you wonder at them, depend upon it! And
now, what shall I do to amuse you, mouse of mi