And Mrs. Fairchild stayed--not that evening only, but all night, sending
Celestina home to explain matters to her father.




CHAPTER XI

AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

'"Love will make the lesson light.
... Teach me how to learn it right,"
Through her tears smiled Daisy.'--ANON.


For Mrs. Vane's troubles came thickly just then. Before night it was
evident that both Biddy and her father were not to escape all bad
results from the chill and wetting; and the Seacove doctor, who was sent
for at once, looked grave, shook his head as he murmured that it was no
doubt most unfortunate. He would say nothing decided beyond giving some
simple directions till he should see how the patients were the next day.
Biddy, after a violent fit of crying, which came on when she found her
father could not come 'to say good-night,' and begging, among her sobs,
to be forgiven, fell asleep, and slept heavily, to wake again in an hour
or two, feverish, restless, and slightly delirious. This, however, was
on the whole less alarming, for very little will make a child
light-headed, than Mr. Vane's condition. There was no sleep for him,
poor man; he was racked with pain and terribly awake--nervously anxious
to know the ins and outs of Biddy's escapade, and to soften it as much