k each
other questions. And when I asked him if I must go away he said I must
not."

"Th' world's comin' to a end!" gasped Martha.

"What is the matter with him?" asked Mary.

"Nobody knows for sure and certain," said Martha. "Mr. Craven went off
his head like when he was born. Th' doctors thought he'd have to be
put in a 'sylum. It was because Mrs. Craven died like I told you. He
wouldn't set eyes on th' baby. He just raved and said it'd be another
hunchback like him and it'd better die."

"Is Colin a hunchback?" Mary asked. "He didn't look like one."

"He isn't yet," said Martha. "But he began all wrong. Mother said
that there was enough trouble and raging in th' house to set any child
wrong. They was afraid his back was weak an' they've always been
takin' care of it--keepin' him lyin' down and not lettin' him walk.
Once they made him wear a brace but he fretted so he was downright ill.
Then a big doctor came to see him an' made them take it off. He talked
to th' other doctor quite rough--in a polite way. He said there'd been
too much medicine and too much lettin' him have his own way."

"I think he's a very spoiled boy," said Mary.

"He's th' worst young nowt as ever was!" said Martha. "I won't say as
he hasn't been ill a good bit. He's had coughs an' colds that's nearly
killed him two or three times. Once he had rheumatic fever an' once he
had typhoid. Eh! Mrs. Medlock did get a fright then. He'd been out of
his head an' she was talkin' to th' nurse, thinkin' he didn't know
nothin', an' she said, 'He'll die this time sure enough, an' best thing
for him an' for everybody.' An' she looked at him an' there he was with
his big eyes open, starin' at her as sensible as she was herself. She
didn't know wha'd happen but he just stared at her an' says, 'You give
me some water an' stop talkin'.'"

"Do you think he will die?" asked Mary.

"Mother says there's no reason why any child should live that gets no
fresh air an' doesn't do nothin' but lie on his back an' read
picture-books an' take medicine. He's weak and hates th' trouble o'
bein' taken out o' doors, an' he gets cold so easy he says it makes him
ill."

Mary sat and looked at the fire. "I wonder," she said slowly, "if it
would not do him good to go out into a garden and watch things growing.
It did me good."

"One of th' worst fits he ever had," said Martha, "was one time they
took him out where the roses is by the fountain. He'd bee