and lank, figure, looked in.

"Miss Iris," she said, "Mrs. Delaney is awake and would be glad to see
you."

"Mother!" cried Iris eagerly. She turned at once to her sister and
brothers. "The innocent must wait," she said. "Put it in the
dead-house with the other creatures. I will attend to the funeral in
the evening or to-morrow. Don't keep me now, children."

"But I thought you had just come from mother," said Apollo.

"No. When I went to her she was asleep. Don't keep me, please." The
woman who had brought the message had already disappeared down the
long straight walk. Iris took to her heels and ran after her.
"Fortune," she said, looking into her face, "is mother any better?"

"As to that, Miss Iris, it is more than I can tell you. Please don't
hold on to my hand, miss. In hot weather I hate children to cling to
me."

Iris said nothing more, but she withdrew a little from Fortune's side.

Fortune hurried her steps, and Iris kept time with her. When they
reached the house, the woman stopped and looked intently at the child.

"You can go straight upstairs at once, miss, and into the room," she
said. "You need not knock; my mistress is waiting for you."

"Don't you think, Fortune, that mother is just a little _wee_ bit