s Jupp could see for himself, when he came up to the group assembled
round the open door of the wardrobe there was nothing in the appearance
of poor Teddy to frighten Mary, although much to bespeak her pity and
sympathy--the little fellow as he knelt down in the corner showing an
upturned face that had been blistered by the gunpowder as it exploded,
besides being swollen to more than twice its ordinary size. His
clothing was also singed and blackened like that of any sweep, while his
eyelashes, eyebrows, and front hair had all been burnt off, leaving him
as bare as a coot.

Altogether, Master Teddy presented a very sorry spectacle; and the
little girls all burst into tears as they looked at him, even Jupp
passing his coat-sleeve over his eyes, and muttering something about its
being "a bad job" in a very choky sort of voice.

It was but the work of an instant, however, for Mary to take up the
unfortunate sufferer in her arms, and there he sobbed out all his woes
as she cried over him on her way to the nursery, sending off Jupp
promptly for the doctor.

"I'se not do nuzzin," explained Teddy as he was being undressed, and his
burns dressed with oil and cotton-wool, pending the arrival of medical
advice. "I'se only zust light de match an' den dere was a whiz; an' a
great big black ting lift me up an' trow me down, and den I climb up out
of de smoke an' run 'way here. I was 'fraid of black ting comin' an'
hide!"

"There was no black thing after you, child," said Conny. "It was only
the force of the explosion that knocked you down, and the cloud of smoke
you saw, which hid you from us when you ran indoors."

"It was a black ting," repeated Teddy, unconvinced by the wise Miss
Conny's reasoning. "I see him, a big black giant, same as de jinny in
story of de fairies; but I ran 'way quick!"

"All right, dear! never mind what it was now," said Mary soothingly.
"Do you feel any better now?"

"Poor mou's so sore," he whimpered, "an' 'ittle nosey can't breez!"

"Well, you shouldn't go meddling with matches and fire, as I've told you
often," said Mary, pointing her moral rather inopportunely. Still she
patted and consoled the little chap as much as she could; and when
Doctor Jolly came up from Endleigh presently, he said that she had done
everything that was proper for the patient, only suggesting that his
face might be covered during the night with a piece of soft rag dipped
in Goulard water, so as to ease the pain of